Clarification on Minors in Second Life

[Yaksha Elegy]

I am posting this looking for help with this issue. I have recently filed a report on a known minor engaging in sex acts and other adult activities, including visiting adult sims and falsifying their age. I am unsure after reading through the TOS what the exact policy on a minor (under the age of 18) using the Service actually is. So I'd like some clarification on what minors are and aren't allowed to do, and cited sources if possible so I may re-read portions of the TOS. Thanks for the help guys!

[Marianne McCann]

22 minutes ago, Yaksha Elegy said:

I am posting this looking for help with this issue. I have recently filed a report on a known minor engaging in sex acts and other adult activities, including visiting adult sims and falsifying their age. I am unsure after reading through the TOS what the exact policy on a minor (under the age of 18) using the Service actually is. So I'd like some clarification on what minors are and aren't allowed to do, and cited sources if possible so I may re-read portions of the TOS. Thanks for the help guys!

As I understand it (and I suspect a Linden will be about to clarify)...

Second Life doesn't allow Residents below age 13

Residents of age 13-15 have been allowed on General-rated educational-based regions when vouched for by the educational entity in question, and can only be on those regions. I have heard that this has changed and is no longer offered, but again, clarification.

Residents aged 16-17 are only allowed on General-Rated regions (and, naturally, limited to general-rated content).

Further, sexual content is not allowed for minors (see above re: general rated) nor is not allowed for avatars designed to look like minors. 

Violations of the above can be reported under Help > Report Abuse using the appropriate categories)

Edited April 27, 2017 by Marianne McCann
typo

[Yaksha Elegy]

Thank you Marianne This is generally what I had perceived.

[Marianne McCann]

Just now, Yaksha Elegy said:

Thank you Marianne This is generally what I had perceived.

Welcome!

[Kristin Linden]

4 hours ago, Yaksha Elegy said:

I am posting this looking for help with this issue. I have recently filed a report on a known minor engaging in sex acts and other adult activities, including visiting adult sims and falsifying their age. I am unsure after reading through the TOS what the exact policy on a minor (under the age of 18) using the Service actually is. So I'd like some clarification on what minors are and aren't allowed to do, and cited sources if possible so I may re-read portions of the TOS. Thanks for the help guys!

Hello there!

I've confirmed that we have received your Abuse Report and it will be reviewed accordingly. We thank you for reporting this as it is something we do take very seriously.

To address your questions about age restrictions within Second Life; As per our Terms of Service a Resident must be at least 16 years of age or older to use our service. Any minors (under the age of 18) may not participate in any adult activity within Second Life and may only access General rated areas. You can find more information about our age requirements here: https://www.lindenlab.com/tos#tos3

Edited April 28, 2017 by Kristin Linden
i kan type gud

[Aethelwine]

Kristin,

the link you provided seems to say 13 years as a minimum not 16.

[Alwin Alcott]

3 hours ago, Aethelwine said:

Kristin,

the link you provided seems to say 13 years as a minimum not 16.

yes 13, but that's as far i know only for closed projects where the kids only can log on thát sim/estate that's shielded from the rest of sl.

 

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Teens_in_Second_Life

 

To serve 13-15 year old users, you must limit them to your Second Life estate. To do this, you must:

• Use the Registration API.
• Have a private region (island) in Second Life.
• Bring teens onto this island through your own website.

You can form groups that include teens and IM and exchange objects with teens who come in through your Reg API. However, in this case, these accounts will NOT be able to leave your island and visit other spaces, search within Second Life or purchase from the Marketplace. In this "closed island" model, you can form groups, IM, and exchange objects with them; but all these activities are limited to your island.

Edited April 28, 2017 by Alwin Alcott

[Leia36]

In my opinion, no parent should ever let their child anywhere near second life until they are old enough to understand the nature of it and how damaging it could potentially be to a young growing mind. They should be out in the real world first so they have the proper perspective to deal with all that will be thrown at them in second life. 

 

Again just my opinion.

[Rhonda Huntress]

5 hours ago, Leia36 said:

In my opinion, no parent should ever let their child anywhere near second life until they are old enough to understand the nature of it and how damaging it could potentially be to a young growing mind.

A long time ago on a previous account when I actually thought running a store was fun, my daughter and my niece used to help me design clothes.  They never had an account and did not care at all about what happened in SL.  They liked to draw costumes and dresses on a little waccom tablet.  I would add shading and import the clothes into  SL.  They really got a kick out of seeing their designs on a moving barbie. 

I understand what you are saying but SL is not entirely populated by demons, pedophiles and CIA agents.  There are other activities you can do with your teenage children, too.

[Syo Emerald]

5 hours ago, Leia36 said:

In my opinion, no parent should ever let their child anywhere near second life until they are old enough to understand the nature of it and how damaging it could potentially be to a young growing mind. They should be out in the real world first so they have the proper perspective to deal with all that will be thrown at them in second life. 

 

Again just my opinion.

Too late. Way too late.

You can't stop the internet. And I'm saying "the internet" because thats what this is basically about. I've been...14 or 15 when I first had acess to fast internet (of course, not fast compared to today, but I could finally watch videos and it didn't interfere with the telephone!) and thats the same age that someone had been inapprobiate towards me and a friend in an online chat. Todays kids and teenagers grow up with the internet just being naturally there. I think all hope is lost on keeping them sheltered until they turn 18 or something.

[Leia36]

My girls are 6 and 8 and I am extremely sensitive to what they see and learn, I am basically in uncharted waters and I am erring on the side of caution. I want them to go make mud castles and climb trees outside or even play with dolls or play dress up at this stage in their lives, Its taxing making sure they dont see that dark side yet and that they can enjoy an innocent childhood, but I totally get what you are both saying. 

Edited April 28, 2017 by Leia36

[Yeya Zuta]

On 4/28/2017 at 4:45 PM, Rhonda Huntress said:

A long time ago on a previous account when I actually thought running a store was fun, my daughter and my niece used to help me design clothes.  They never had an account and did not care at all about what happened in SL.  They liked to draw costumes and dresses on a little waccom tablet.  I would add shading and import the clothes into  SL.  They really got a kick out of seeing their designs on a moving barbie. 

I understand what you are saying but SL is not entirely populated by demons, pedophiles and CIA agents.  There are other activities you can do with your teenage children, too.

I was just having a discussion about this issue and I had bought land on general sim, to find out there is hard core BDSM going on I send multiply AR's and guess what. LL never took action to remove this individual. Not to mention how much I had paid for this land. Feeds are not monitored, there is torture be(a)stiality  and ince(s)t pics AND when I address this with my post (to get a mute / block feature) my post gets hidden from the forum for the questions to Ebbe about improvements of SL. So, I agree not a place for kids under 18 years old. Until LL proves to cope well with proper G  M and A rated sims and AR:s in this matter. 

 

I like SL a lot and I do my bit for the community but I think you need to be honest and give feedback where it is needed. 

Edited April 18, 2018 by Yeya Zuta
spelling

[Solar Legion]

37 minutes ago, Yeya Zuta said:

I was just having a discussion about this issue and I had bought land on general sim, to find out there is hard core BDSM going on I send multiply AR's and guess what. LL never took action to remove this individual. Not to mention how much I had paid for this land. Feeds are not monitored, there is torture be(a)stiality  and ince(s)t pics AND when I address this with my post (to get a mute / block feature) my post gets hidden from the forum for the questions to Ebbe about improvements of SL. So, I agree not a place for kids under 18 years old. Until LL proves to cope well with proper G  M and A rated sims and AR:s in this matter. 

 

I like SL a lot and I do my bit for the community but I think you need to be honest and give feedback where it is needed. 

M'kay ....

1. Abuse Reports take time to be examined so the appropriate action can be taken.
   1. If any action is taken, you are not notified.
2. Feeds, Profiles and all other content not being monitored is pretty much laid out for you in the language used for the ToS and CS. Find something objectionable? Report It.
3. Newsflash for you: Mute/Block exists already. It prevents a user from sending you Instant Messages, hides their chat and - settings/viewer depending - even goes so far as to partially/fully derender them from your view!
   1. Feeds generally show you what your friends and their friends are up to. perhaps might even show you a bit more based on other bits of information such as groups you belong to or your interests. That is how they are designed to function.
   2. Mute/Block does absolutely nothing to prevent you from opening/viewing a public profile. Deal with it.
4. The mentioned thread was not the proper place for your 'question' - this thread or starting your own was the proper place/course of action.
5. Under 18 users exist - the ones that are honest end up restricted to G rated sims, the ones that aren't honest go where they please and if caught end up either losing their account or having their access permissions properly adjusted.
   1. Said users have always existed, good luck keeping them out.

[Yeya Zuta]

22 minutes ago, Solar Legion said:

M'kay ....

1. Abuse Reports take time to be examined so the appropriate action can be taken.
   1. If any action is taken, you are not notified.
2. Feeds, Profiles and all other content not being monitored is pretty much laid out for you in the language used for the ToS and CS. Find something objectionable? Report It.
3. Newsflash for you: Mute/Block exists already. It prevents a user from sending you Instant Messages, hides their chat and - settings/viewer depending - even goes so far as to partially/fully derender them from your view!
   1. Feeds generally show you what your friends and their friends are up to. perhaps might even show you a bit more based on other bits of information such as groups you belong to or your interests. That is how they are designed to function.
   2. Mute/Block does absolutely nothing to prevent you from opening/viewing a public profile. Deal with it.
4. The mentioned thread was not the proper place for your 'question' - this thread or starting your own was the proper place/course of action.
5. Under 18 users exist - the ones that are honest end up restricted to G rated sims, the ones that aren't honest go where they please and if caught end up either losing their account or having their access permissions properly adjusted.
   1. Said users have always existed, good luck keeping them out.

1) it was my neighbor and his sexclub on a G sim, he is still there no action taken  EDIT: first report was 2016 followed by many more. 

2 Done that

3) Please read again its about mute/ block feature on the Feed.

3.1 ) There is a thing called "Trending" and which is public to anyone when you login. Not about the friends you follow or visa versa. designed to function of the feed is terrible as everyone knows. btw. 

3.2) Deal with it? O_o I think your missing the point: I'm requesting something to improve SL. Same as others have done before me on Jira about the feed and block function. Because of the adult stuff that gets posted. Its about minors this thread . .... But anyway you've  just proven a point a public profile is public whatever this person has on or in his/her profile, 

4) Oh? 

5) Again it is not about kids going to Adult rated sims its about adult stuff on G sims OR adult stuff on the Feed. 

 

Edited April 18, 2018 by Yeya Zuta

[Qie Niangao]

It seems hard to imagine the Lab spending any time on a new feature related to feeds. My guess is that if the feeds require any more cost to operate than they do now, they'll be discontinued altogether. But if one wanted to take the risk, it would surely be the jira where such a request would be made.

[Ethan Paslong]

5 minutes ago, Yeya Zuta said:

 its about adult stuff on G sims.

keep reporting... over and over, and quote the rating rules in the report in case support doesn't know it

 

[Yeya Zuta]

4 minutes ago, Qie Niangao said:

It seems hard to imagine the Lab spending any time on a new feature related to feeds. My guess is that if the feeds require any more cost to operate than they do now, they'll be discontinued altogether. But if one wanted to take the risk, it would surely be the jira where such a request would be made.

Hey Qie, I hope it will go to the direction that they will continue investing in the feed because as posted in the thread to Ebbe, I see a lot of benefits for the community in-world. 

[Solar Legion]

That's nice. If what you see in Trending bothers you you can either report it (if the option is available) or simply not use that section at all.

Adult content on a G rated sim? Report, report report. That's all you can do outside of blocking/derendering it on your end.

Mute/Block on the normal Feed section is pointless for the reasons explained to you above - if you meant the Trending section, state so instead of being generic about it.

Point blank (and my own opinion on the matter): The Feed section of the (rather ugly) Web based profiles is about as useful as mammaries on a Boar. It was an attempt to cash in on the rising presence of Social Media after their first attempt failed. The only useful section is the part that shows you what your friends and their friends are up to. The "Trending" section needs to go.

You're not the first user to observe that Mature/Adult things get posted to the Trending section of the Feeds, you won't be the last. Peruse the JIRA and examine feature requests relating to the Feeds and Trending section to see if anyone has already made a similar request (they likely have) and go from there.

Beyond that, you're preaching to the choir (some of us within it, being rather jaded these days).

[LittleMe Jewell]

29 minutes ago, Solar Legion said:

Point blank (and my own opinion on the matter): The Feed section of the (rather ugly) Web based profiles is about as useful as mammaries on a Boar. It was an attempt to cash in on the rising presence of Social Media after their first attempt failed. The only useful section is the part that shows you what your friends and their friends are up to. The "Trending" section needs to go.

I think the whole damn thing is worthless.  LL's attempt at mimicking Facebook.  If I want FB, I'll go to FB.  The entire idea in social media that everyone needs to know (or even wants to know) what someone is up to every second of their day shows just how self-centered many people are.

[Fionalein]

7 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

 The entire idea in social media that everyone needs to know (or even wants to know) what someone is up to every second of their day shows just how self-centered many people are.

but..., but..., I want to at least feel like a Z-class prominent some times of the day  (<- did not find a more narcisitic emoticon, sorry)

Edited April 18, 2018 by Fionalein

[Yeya Zuta]

40 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

I think the whole damn thing is worthless.  LL's attempt at mimicking Facebook.  If I want FB, I'll go to FB.  The entire idea in social media that everyone needs to know (or even wants to know) what someone is up to every second of their day shows just how self-centered many people are.

Hey Lil, thank you for your PM and your help. Much appreciated for thinking along.  I'm not a FB user myself. Or poster as you can see in my profile since the last 9 years :-) 

I don't want to go "off topic" but people use it to msg others if they can't get online and their msg in-world are capped. It can be used to sell gacha's, group activities, events, advertising of creations and so much more.  Gosh, creativity can be endless for open minds!

Edited April 18, 2018 by Yeya Zuta