Congress Wants to Ban Second Life in Schools and Libraries

Second Life has become a virtual world for nearly 13 million online users to hang out and do what ever they want that they often wouldn't do in the real world. This being said, some law makers are concerned that this could be a dangerous place for children as this world is not policed for predators seeking out children. U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk of IL sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission on Monday requesting a consumer alert be issued warning about its dangers.

Kirk's major concern is that Second Life has no age verification built into its registration process and that there are numerous locations outside of the teen-designated areas where there is a world of virtual prostitution, drug deals, and other activities that are clearly not appropriate for minors. Kirk said in a statement that virtual worlds like Second Life don't keep children out of virtual "rape rooms", brothels, and drug stored, and that if Second Life won't protect Kids from inappropriate content, that Congress surely would.

Second Life creator, Linden Lab released a statement saying that members of the Second Life community including the Linden Lab staff actively monitor against minors accessing the adult portion of the service, though company officials have acknowledged that it is possible for teens to get into the adult areas of the service as it is also possible for adults to slip into the teen only areas of the Second Life virtual world.

Congress Wants to Ban Second Life in Schools and Libraries

Some lawmakers are concerned about Second Life being a predator playground and a danger for children and have suggested that it be banned in libraries and schools.