History/Adult content

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During the second quarter of 2009, changes to the way adult content is handled were announced. The basic thrust of these changes is to separate "adult" material from casual SL users who did not intend to see it. The changes include (1) creating a new land rating of "Adult", in addition to the existing "PG" and "Mature", (2) changing how the search function works (3) requiring "verification" to access the adult land and search settings, and (4) updating the rules of SL (terms of service, community standards, knowledge base, etc.) to go with these changes.

To make these changes required updates to the server software (version 1.26 and later) which hosts grid regions, and the client software (version 1.23 and later) which runs on your home computer.

This page compiles Adult Content info at-a-glance so you can easily see the history of what's happened and better understand what's to come.

Timetable

  1. Initial Announcement - 12 Mar 2009
  2. Release of 1.23 client software - 15 Jun 2009
  3. New Adult mainland opens for visits - 15 Jun 2009
  4. Move tickets for Adult Mainland accepted - 29 Jun 2009
  5. Full enforcement of new rules - approx 60 days after Move tickets accepted

Changes to Region Ratings

Previously there were only two ratings for regions on the SL Main Grid: PG and Mature, and they were open to anyone to visit. Now there is a new category, Adult, which only "verified" accounts with the right settings activated can visit.

Once fully implemented, Adult Content is supposed to be stored either on Regions on the newly built Zindra mainland "continent" or on private Regions having the Adult Region rating. Existing mainland regions will keep their PG or Mature ratings. Estate owners can set their region ratings as they choose, and it is expected they will change or create adult rated regions according to the demand for it.

Zindra Move

Previously existing mainland regions will not have their maturity rating changed. Therefore parcels with adult content will need to either move to the new Zindra continent, which is all adult rated regions, or to Private regions which are rated adult. The initial map of Zindra contains about 160 regions, although at least 507 regions have been mapped:

LDPW Map Zindra Medium.jpg

As of 25 Jun 2009, 130 private regions were rated Adult.

Existing venues which are significantly impacted by these adult changes may request a move to Zindra via a support ticket, starting 29 Jun 2009 at 10am.

For those who need to migrate to Zindra this link may be helpful:

Changes to Search

Starting with version 1.23, there are check boxes in most tabs in search for PG, Mature, and Adult. This determines what kind of regions your results will come from, and what words may be filtered out of your query. You can choose the checkboxes in different combinations (they are not exclusive), and use different settings on each tab. If you are not "verified", the adult checkbox will not be available (greyed out).

If you do not have the adult checkbox active, certain input words to search will be "filtered". That means they are ignored as if you did not type them, and you get a message about it in the results window. There are a few words which are filtered no matter what setting you use. These refer to banned activities such as ageplay and gambling. An additional 60 or so english words are filtered if you do not have the Adult box active, mostly referring to sexual activities.

Verification and Preferences

To use the adult settings, you will need to "verify" your account. This is done in one of three ways: (1) Use the age verification page on the SL website, (2) Provide payment information on the SL website, or (3) Provide payment information on the XStreetSL site (which is owned by Linden Lab).

Verification links:

Once you have account verified by one of these methods, you are supposed to get access to the adult settings. You will need to go into Edit menu > Preferences > General Tab > Rating and choose "PG, Mature, and Adult" from the dropdown list. If you have a lower setting, then search and region entry or teleport will be restricted to PG only, or PG and Mature only.

Linden information on Adult Content

Numerous changes have been made to SL documents and software to incorporate the adult content changes. This includes the Community Standards, Knowledge Base, and Wiki.

Community Standards

Second Life Community Standards item 5: Adult Regions, Groups, and Listings (updated 25 Jun 2009)

Second Life Knowledge Base

Dozens of articles are being created and revised for the Adult Content changes. Here are some of the key ones:

Second Life Client Downloads

Note: some people have trouble running this version of the software, you might want to check alternate clients:

Discussion of these Changes

Extensive discussion of these changes has occurred since they were first announced:

Blog posts

Search and Adult Content Discussion
Adult Content Changes Discussion

Press releases

Brown Bag/inworld meetings

These are transcripts of "Adult Oriented content controls" meetings.

Forum Threads

Opened 01 May 2009, Closed 01 Jun 2009, 2,864 posts
Opened 31 Mar 2009, Closed 01 May 2009, 7,408 posts
Opened 17 Mar 2009, Closed 31 Mar 2009, 4,676 posts
Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 890 posts
Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 488 posts
Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 365 posts
Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 96 posts
Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 1,044 posts

Forum posts by Blondin Linden: [Note: the official status of these answers is not known]

Issue Tracker

Other Summaries and Commentary

Unanswered Questions

Please refer to the above info for the latest, and update this accordingly.

Definitions of "Public"

From the "Maturity Ratings" FAQ:

Second, we will conduct proactive monitoring and rely on abuse reports that identify adult content or conduct that is promoted or advertised publicly. Where adult content or conduct on a Region is publicly advertised or promoted, that Region must be designated as Adult (or such content must be removed). We will re-designate such Regions if adult content is not removed.

What does 'adult content or conduct that is promoted or advertised publicly' mean? Is any parcel that shows up in search 'promoted or advertised publicly' regardless of whether the adult content is mentioned in Search (Blondin Linden Post 2383239 implies 'no', but it's not explicitly stated)?

It sounds like this is specifically targeting businesses, but there's a huge grey area between "this is a business advertising sex" and "this is a private residence".

Advertising?

Blondin Linden: If someone whats to have a swinger party and invite some friends, there is no problem with that. As long as they don't advertise it, who is going to know what is happening in their own home?

What constitutes advertising? Word of mouth?

Who gets to choose to move?

Who gets to choose to move?

What about people who bought Mature land on the Mainland, since the Mainland is not being designated as Adult?

Business Only?

Blondin Linden: However, if your business relies on Adult Content and would be negatively impacted, then there is nothing stopping you from submitting a ticket along with everyone else, explaining your need to move. We'll judge it on a case by case.

And if your property in SL "relies on adult content", but it's not a "business"?

Can we get transcripts of meetings?

Most of the in-world meetings on this subject have been held in "voice". Transcripts have been promised:

Blondin Linden: 5) This seems like a good time to remind you that there are several full fledged Deaf communities in SL. Your audio only recordings are not going to be particularly helpful to them. And yes, some of them are quite vested in the adult content argument. Please make text transcripts available of the Brown Bags.
ANSWER: Transcripts will be made available.

When will Transcripts be made available?

Transcripts are now linked to above. - Torley-favicon.png Torley on 2009-06-11 @ 9:19 AM PST

Answered Questions

How about nudity in mature regions?

According to this post in the forums simple nudity, with explicitly depicted but non-erect genitals, is not automatically "adult".

Originally Posted by Argent Stonecutter
Next question: what does "nudity" refer to. Are non-erect prim "naughty bits" considered automatically adult? (Edit: I see other people are bringing this up)
Not automatically. It depends on what they are doing.
Hanging out at a nude beach would be fine. Walking around pants-less on the mainland just to expose yourself to others would be inappropriate.

Non-sexual Nudity

Posted 4-21-2009:

Ran Garrigus: So can we again get a clarification on this? Are non-sexualized depictions of nudity (basically, the vendors images most skin makers tend to use) 'Mature' or are they 'Adult'?

Blondin Linden: They are mature - NOT adult.

Strip Clubs

Posted 4-21-2009:

  1. Strip Club would be Mature.
  2. Strip Clubs that use adult key words in listings and in search would be considered Adult.
  3. Strip Clubs with sex balls and back room sex areas would be Adult.

PG Land?

Posted 4-21-2009

Under the new definitions, activities on PG land will be significantly restricted compared to the existing rules (e.g. a club or bar even with virtual "alcohol" would not violate the current PG definition but under the new definitions would be only permitted on mature land; indeed even streaming a Tom and Jerry cartoon on PG land would be prohibited under the new definitions but would be fine under the existing ones).
Will LL offer free land swaps (to a mature region) to any PG mainland owners who are affected by the new definition of PG?

Blondin Linden: The swap will be for those on mainland who are moving to the new adult continent.

(no)

What about shop owners who can't change their keywords

Posted 4-27-2009

Originally Posted by Argent Stonecutter
What if the words are ones they CAN'T remove from their search tags because they are the ones that describe their plot, the ones their customers use to find them? Why shouldn't they be entitled to move?

Blondin Linden: I never said that they weren't. In fact, these individuals probably would qualify.

See also

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