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In the midst of the election season, Congress passed a plethora of Internet related laws. Most involved child protection. One involved webcaster protection. Wasting no time, the impact of the new laws is already being felt through federal agency implementation. On Friday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in the Department of Commerce released the following notice:

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Notice: Call for Nominations, Online Safety and Technology Working Group

AGENCY: National Telecommunications and Information Administration

ACTION: Notice and Request for Nominations of Representatives to Serve on Working Group

SUMMARY: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is seeking nominations of individuals to represent the business community, public interest groups, and other appropriate groups interested in serving on the NTIA Online Safety and Technology Working Group (OSTWG) for a single fifteen (15) month term to commence in January 2009. At the conclusion of the working group's term, the OSTWG will provide a report to the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator and to Congress on ways to promote and to preserve a safe environment for children using the Internet.

DATES: Nominations must be postmarked or electronically transmitted on or before December 12, 2008.

ADDRESSES: An organization wishing to submit a nomination of an individual to represent that organization's interests relevant to the work of the OSTWG should send the individual's resume or curriculum vita and a biographical statement summarizing the individual's interest in serving on the working group and relevant qualifications to the attention of Tim Sloan by mail to Office of the Assistant Secretary, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 1401 Constitution Avenue N.W., Room 4725, Washington, DC 20230; by facsimile transmission to (202) 482-6173; or by electronic mail to ostwg@ntia.doc.gov. Individuals may also self-nominate by submitting the same information listed above, as well as an indication of support from the organization or group that the individual will represent.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric Stark at (202) 482-1880 or estark@ntia.doc.gov; or Tim Sloan at (202) 482-1899 or tsloan@ntia.doc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 10, 2008, the President signed into law the ''Broadband Data Improvement Act'' (the Act), Pub. L. No. 110-385. Section 214 of that Act directs NTIA to establish the OSTWG to review and evaluate:

• The status of industry efforts to promote online safety through educational efforts, parental control technology, blocking and filtering software, age-appropriate labels for content or other technologies or initiatives designed to promote a safe online environment for children;

• The status of industry efforts to promote online safety among providers of electronic communications services and remote computing services by reporting apparent child pornography, including any obstacles to such reporting;

• The practices of electronic communications service providers and remote computing service providers related to record retention in connection with crimes against children; and

• The development of technologies to help parents shield their children from inappropriate material on the Internet.

The OSTWG must report its findings and recommendations to the Assistant Secretary and to Congress within one (1) year after its first meeting.

Read more… Federal Register Notice: Nominations to Serve on Online Safety and Technology Working Group

By Robert Cannon, Cybertelecom. Visit the blog maintained by Robert Cannon here.

Related topics: Access Providers, Censorship, Cybercrime, Law, Policy & Regulation, Telecom