Politech: FC: More on child "privacy" and Altavista not shutting down sites

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

**********

Date: 15 Feb 2001 07:49:34 -0800
Message-ID: <20010215154934.18505.cpmta () c012 sfo cp net>
To: declan () well com
From: Jamie McCarthy <jamiemccarthy () altavista com>
Cc: jamie () mccarthy vg

> AltaVista said today that it "has closed down all of its community
> services, which includes all interactive services, such as chat
> rooms, bulletin boards and free email.

I'm sending this from the free AltaVista email account I just signed
up for ten minutes ago.

> We'll ban Net-sex not by claiming a child's innocence is being
> violated, but that his privacy is. Ain't that just swell?

CNET:

   AltaVista spokesman David Emanuel labeled the report a
   "publicity stunt,"

http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-4820233.html

ComputerWorld:

   The problem, according to AltaVista spokesman Jim Shissler, is
   that the claim by the bureau isn't true.

   Instead, Shissler said, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company
   removed the chat room, e-mail and other community features
   from its Web site last week because of a business decision
   made by the company in September, when it announced that it
   was leaving the portal business to concentrate on being a
   search engine site (see story).

   "That [Better Business Bureau] press release is inaccurate,"
   Shissler said. "We've not changed any features on our site" in
   response to the agency. While the company had had
   communications with the Better Business Bureau about the
   portal, those talks didn't lead to the closures, he said.

   In its statement today, the bureau stated it was "pleased to
   announce that AltaVista Co. has modified its Web site in order
   to protect the safety of children."

   Not so, Shissler said. "I wish I could tell you why they would
   put out a press release like that."

http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0,1199,NAV47_NLTpm_STO57721,00.html

NetworkWorldFusion:

   AltaVista closed down all its interactive community services
   based on a business decision - and not because of an
   unfavorable review by the Children's Advertising Review Unit
   of the Council of Better Business Bureaus...

   "Our removal of those features was because we have become
   focused on search for consumers and businesses, and those
   features were not in line with our goals," company spokesman
   David Emanuel said on Wednesday.

http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2001/0214altavista.html

--
        Jamie McCarthy
        jamie () mccarthy vg
 http://jamie.mccarthy.vg/

Find the best deals on the web at AltaVista Shopping!
http://www.shopping.altavista.com




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