Category: kids

Concerns distinctively affecting kids

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Large-Scale Registration of Domains with Typographical Errors

Large-Scale Registration of Domains with Typographical Errors. (January 2003)

The author reports more than eight thousand domains that consist of minor variations on the addresses of well-known web sites, reflecting typographical errors often made by Internet users manually typing these addresses into their web browsers. Although the majority of these domain names are variations of sites frequently used by children, and although their domain names do not suggest the presence of sexually-explicit content, more than 90% offer extensive sexually-explicit content. In addition, these domains are presented in a way that temporarily disables a browser’s Back and Exit commands, preventing users from exiting easily. Most or all of the domains are registered to an individual previously enjoined by the FTC from operating domains that are typographic variations on famous names, and these domains remain operational subsequent to an injunction ordering their suspension.

 

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Qualified as expert in Internet filtering over objections from US Department of Justice

In Multnomah County Public Library et al., vs. United States of America, et al. (an ACLU challenge to the Children’s Internet Protection Act), I prepared an expert report, then was offered as an expert for oral testimony.  Counsel for the United States of America challenged my credentials, remarking on my youth and lack of relevant credentials.  The United States’ challenge was overruled.

The voir dire challenge of my designation as an expert:

Q   Mr. Edelman, the highest academic degree that currently hold is a high school diploma, isn’t that correct?

A   That’s correct.

Q   The undergraduate degree that you expect to receive in June of this year is the only undergraduate degree that you will hold when you receive it, isn’t that right?

A   That’s correct.

Q   And that undergraduate degree that you have yet to receive that you will receive in June of 200 will be in economics, is that correct?

A   I will in June of 2002 receive a undergraduate degree in economics, that’s correct.

Q   And you will not receive any degree in computer sciences, is that correct?

A   That’s correct.

Q   You don’t belong to any professional associations currently, is that right?

A   That’s correct.

Q   And you currently hold no professional licenses, is that correct?

A   That’s correct.

Q   You have not published any articles in any scholarly journals, is that correct?

A   That’s correct.

Q   And you have not  published any peer reviewed articles of any kind is that correct?

A   That’s correct.

JUDGE BARTLE:  He may have no peers.

Q   You testified that you spent nine years doing consulting for various organizations, is that right?

A   Yes.

Q   And you began that consulting while you were still in junior high school, isn’t that right?

A   That’s correct.

Q   You currently other than the teaching responsibilities that you have at Harvard College you don’t hold as formal teaching appointment, do you?

A   I do not.

Q   You also testified that you previously given testimony in Federal Court, is that right?

A   Yes.

Q   On one occasion you testified before an Federal District Court, is that correct?

A   That’s correct.

Q   You were not deposed for purposes of that testimony were you?

A   I was not.

BHATTACHARYYA: I render my objection, Your Honors, to the qualifications of this witness as an expert under the Federal Rules of Evidence.

Remarks by the three-judge panel in qualifying me as an expert:

         JUDGE BECKER:  Well, I would observe that some of the great figures in history have been autodidacts could spend a half a morning listening to all of the autodidacts.

702 says that it’s scientific technical or otherwise specialized knowledge, assist in the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue.  In other words the helpfulness standard.  A witness qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training or education may testify thereto in the form of an opinion.  That’s the applicable standard.

I know how I’m prepared to rule, Judge Fullam.

JUDGE FULLAM:  I have two reasons for ruling the same way.  One is that we waited just so we could hear this witness, and I think that would be a terrible waste.

The other is that I happen to on occasion rely upon my six year old grandchild for advice on the internet and computer.

JUDGE BECKER:  Okay.  Ms. Bhattacharyya, your objection is overruled.  Mr. Edelman is qualified to give expert testimony.

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Expert Report and Appendices for Multnomah County Public Library et al., vs. United States of America, et al.

I had the honor of testifying, in writing and orally, in Multnomah County Public Library et al., vs. United States of America, et al., an ACLU challenge to the Children’s Internet Protection Act. My expert report, rebuttal report, and supplemental report include documentation of specific pages wrongly blocked by adult filters.

See also my oral testimony including the United States’ attempt to prevent me from being qualified as an expert.

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Domains Reregistered for Distribution of Unrelated Content: A Case Study of “Tina’s Free Live Webcam”

Domains Reregistered for Distribution of Unrelated Content: A Case Study of “Tina’s Free Live Webcam”. (March – April 2002.)

In recent years, many Internet users have become aware that when domain names expire (after their original registrants forget, fail, or otherwise decline to renew them), the domain names may be reregistered by others. This feature of the management of the domain name system might be thought to be desirable since it allows and facilitates a turnover of names from those uninterested in using them to those who in fact do seek to put them to active use. But recent experience shows that this structure also allows domains to be renewed by firms who do not seem to seek to use the domains to offer original content but rather seem to hope to profit from the prior promotional works of others.

In particular, such firms often offer pornographic or sexually-explicit images, advertising, or links or redirects to other commercial sites. The apparent expectation of such firms is that at least some users will request the web pages previously (before domain expiration) hosting other content; any such users will instead be shown this new content, likely creating profits for the firms that reregistered the expired domain names.

In this article, I document several thousand domains reregistered by one particular firm — many domain names that all redirect users to one particular web page displaying sexually explicit images. While this research is by no means exhaustive — other firms are likely conducting similar registration practices, and still others make numerous registrations and reregistrations that no doubt differ in various ways — a review of these specific registrations as well as their general characteristics may be helpful in understanding the behavior at issue.