History/Adult Content FAQ

How does this affect the average Second Life resident?

If your account not verified, you will not be able to fully use search, or visit adult regions on the grid. Even if you are verified, you must still activate the adult settings in preferences and search to access adult regions. If you shop at, work at, or rent a place that moves to Zindra, or the estate owner changes the region to Adult, you will need to verify to continue visiting it.

How does this affect Landowners on Mainland and Estates?

The new definitions for PG, Mature, and Adult land are supposed to be followed by everyone. In particular, some things that used to be allowed on Mature land, are not any more. If you fall in that category, you would have to change those things, or move to Adult land.

If you are on estate land, and you have adult material, your choices are to get the estate owner to change the rating for the region, or to move. Conversely, if you are not verified, and the estate owner changes the rating to adult, you will not be able to enter the region any more, even if you own or rent a parcel there.

How does this affect businesses and public venues?

Publicly promoted adult content is now supposed to be on adult rated land, and certain adult words are filtered from search below the adult settings. If you have adult content or advertise it, you may need to move part or all of your business or venue.

Search also now has the ability to turn off results from PG, Mature, or Adult land. This will change how you use search to get people to find you.

Linden Lab has made many statements that strongly connect search listings (title and description) that use adult words to requiring being on adult land. There are many other ways to communicate and control access within SL, and which of those will make your place "public", and thus fall under the new rules, is less clear.

Incompletely Edited Questions:

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?

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 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:

Strip Club would be Mature.
Strip Clubs that use adult key words in listings and in search would be considered Adult.
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