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A. Although the prevalence of obscenity is daunting, citizens can assist themselves and the Government in dealing with the illegal traffic in obscenity in several ways:
Protect children online
The Justice Department supports the development and use of appropriate tools to allow parents and children to have significant control over what they view and not view online. A variety of commercially available software "filter" programs can be used to prevent access to Internet sites containing pornographic or otherwise offensive content. In addition, the Administration has strongly encouraged the software industry and others in the online community to continue to develop content ratings systems, ratings-compatible Web browser programs, and other technical solutions. These methods promote individual protection choices and simplify the task of parents and others who wish to screen out offensive and harmful material.
Report online crimes and abuses:
Some online resources for citizen complaints include:
Online obscenity-
The nonprofit organization, Morality In Media (www.MoralityInMedia.org ), operates a Website, www.ObscenityCrimes.org which provides an online form that can be used to report adult obscenity ("hard-core pornography") encountered either on a Website or in an e-mail. This form can also be used to report the use of a misleading domain name to trick Internet users to visit an obscene Website.
Broadcast obscenity and indecency-
The Federal Communication Commission regulates both obscene and indecent programming broadcast over radio and television. Citizens can report complaints about obscenity and indecency to the FCC directly: www.fcc.gov/eb/broadcast/.
Obscenity sent through the United States Postal Service-
To stop delivery of unsolicited sexually oriented advertising in the U.S. Mail, you may contact your local post office, or for more information, click onto the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Website at www.usps.com/postalinspectors
Porn-spam (and enforcement of the CAN-SPAM Act)-
The Federal Trade Commission brings civil enforcement actions, in cooperation with the Department of Justice, against those who violate federal law by engaging in fraudulent and unfair trade practices involving unsolicited emails, porn-spam, media violence, and identity theft. Citizens can visit www.ftc.gov to File a Complaint of various types on one of the online Consumer Complaint Forms.
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