FC: American Family Association continues porn attack on Yahoo

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

[This is what Yahoo gets for caving in to pressure earlier this year. Now 
anti-porn groups can come back every week (Patrick has sent me at least two 
very similar press releases recently), identify discussion groups that are 
purportedly offensive, and compel Yahoo to take action. Since discussion 
areas can be created without human intervention, it's an infinite loop. And 
even if Patrick is successful, he'll merely succeed in driving the 
participants back to Usenet. Finally, if child porn exists, that's one 
thing -- but fantasies that Patrick finds distasteful are still protected 
by the First Amendment and perhaps even Yahoo's terms of service. --Declan]

*******

From: "ptrueman" <ptrueman () afo net>
To: "Declan McCullagh" <declan () well com>
Subject: Yahoo porn
Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2001 21:14:40 -0400

AMERICAN
FAMILY
ASSOCIATION  ____________________________________
                                                                      Washington, 
D.C. Office
                                                                PRESS RELEASE
                                                                Contact: 
Patrick Trueman
                                                                        (202) 
544-0061

For Immediate Release                                            July 10, 2001


YAHOO! STILL HAS RAPE, ORGY, CHILD PORN CLUBS OPEN TO ALL
AMERICAN FAMILY ASSOC. SAYS

"Yahoo!'s "Rape Stories Fantasy" Club should be shut down immediately," 
said Patrick Trueman of American Family Association.  The club contains 
photos titled "Raped" and "Group Rape" showing scared-looking, naked women 
handcuffed, bound, held down and raped.  The club is described on Yahoo! as 
"a great place to exchange rape stories and fantasies."  Here is a portion 
of one story:" I stand in the bushes and watch you fumble with you keys… 
You should know better than to not have them ready when you go into the 
house" …  I throw your lifeless body over my shoulder and carry you into 
the house. I tie your four limbs securely to the bed.  I grab my knife… 
"Why do Yahoo! executives encourage such despicable material by providing 
resources to the perverted people who enjoy the thought of raping women, " 
asked Trueman.  Yahoo! also has many orgy clubs including teen orgy clubs, 
complete with group sex photos, solicitations for new members and dates and 
locations of upcoming orgies.

Child pornography can still be found on Yahoo!  "It appears that Yahoo! is 
providing free space in its clubs and GeoCities sites for many for-profit 
child pornography web sites", said Trueman. Pictures of children in 
sexually explicit poses are provided in some and all have links to sites 
outside of Yahoo! that offer child pornography.

"Yahoo! must choose whether it wants to be a family friendly business or 
not", Trueman said.  "If it does, it should eliminate all pornographic 
clubs and GeoCities sites on its servers. Yahoo!'s current policy 
encourages users to post every variety of pornography, including photos of 
rape, orgy and child pornography, he added.

 "Yahoo! should not be allowed to profit from the sexual exploitation of 
children and women."   Trueman said.  "It is not only offensive but it is 
often illegal," he added.  He is AFA's director of governmental affairs, 
and was chief of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Criminal 
Division, U.S. Department of Justice, from 1988 to 1992.   AFA has written 
to Attorney General Ashcroft to ask that Yahoo! be prosecuted for child 
pornography and obscenity violations.

                     227 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Suite 
302,  Washington, D.C. 20002
  (202) 544-0061, fax (202) 544-0504




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