Voluntary self-regulation multimedia service providers

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The voluntary self-regulation multimedia service provider e. V. ( FSM ) is a non-profit, registered association based in Berlin, which is primarily dedicated to the protection of minors in the media.

In November 2005, the FSM was recognized as a voluntary self-regulation organization by the Commission for Youth Media Protection (KJM). Ordinary members of the association have the opportunity to join the “model of regulated self-regulation” provided for in the State Treaty on Youth Media Protection (JMStV). The companies thus benefit from the privileges for members of recognized self-regulation provided for in the JMStV. In the event of a complaint by the KJM regarding a violation of the provisions of the JMStV, the FSM must be involved as a recognized body of self-regulation if the provider is a full member of the FSM. Your test results are binding for the KJM and the responsible state media authorities if they remain within the scope of the legally prescribed scope for assessment.

Areas of activity

The association operates a complaints office. Via a form on the FSM website or via the in cooperation with the industry association eco e. V. operated Internet Complaints Office, a complaint can be submitted. Areas of activity are the processing of complaints about criminal or youth-endangering content in the area of ​​youth media protection of members and non-members. The FSM carries out extensive educational work to promote the media skills of children and their legal guardians. B. as part of the "Internauts" project. The portal, accompanied by media education, supports young Internet users in their first steps on the Internet and provides them with information and tips on the subject of safety when using new media in a playful way. Teachers can also order the internaut media case with learning materials for their school work with children in the 3rd to 6th grade and integrate it into the lesson.

The FSM offers an age classification system on which providers can use a questionnaire to rate their online content and generate an age group. The age level is issued as a technical label that can be stored on the website. Youth protection programs ( user-autonomous filter software) are able to read out the technical labels in order to enable age-appropriate access to Internet content.

tasks

One of the central tasks is the fight against illegal, youth-endangering and development-impairing content in online media . Companies that provide online offers as well as media and telecommunications associations belong to the association , which was founded in 1997 . The focus of the work of the FSM is on providing comprehensive professional advice and support to its members. For member companies, the FSM can perform the tasks of the youth protection officer . According to § 7 JMStV , commercial providers of generally accessible telemedia , which contain development-impairing or youth-endangering content, are obliged to appoint a youth protection officer. Providers with fewer than 50 employees or fewer than ten million hits on a monthly average can, as members, have the FSM take over this duty.

Recognition as a self-regulatory body according to the State Treaty on Youth Media Protection was highly controversial in the association. In the run-up to the State Treaty, the association offered its members advice on content from the point of view of youth protection. But he did massive lobbying against plans to include the licensing of self-regulatory institutions in the State Treaty. The association declared: "A sovereign certification of institutions of the actually" voluntary "self-regulation is a contradiction in terms." When the license requirement in the contract was decided in 2002 and came into force in 2003, the then chairman of the association resigned. Only two years later did his successors arrange for certification and thus recognition of the association.

Members

Members are companies in the telecommunications and online industries that agree on common industry-specific standards ( codes of conduct ).

Code of conduct for operators of social communities
The code drawn up in 2009 contains specific measures to protect against contact and communication risks, especially young users. The regulations relate, among other things, to the design options for privacy settings and targeted user education.
Self-control search engines
In a sub-code to the general code of conduct of the FSM, which was developed for search engine providers in 2006 , the providers voluntarily committed themselves to uniformly and promptly in their Internet addresses ( URLs ) that were placed on the index of media harmful to young people by the Federal Inspectorate for Media Harmful to Young People (BPjM) Result lists no longer displayed. The "BPjM module" was developed for cooperation with self-monitoring search engines . This contains data records prepared for automated processing, which are encrypted and transmitted to the search engine providers by the BPjM. The data sets of the indexed offers that are subject to the Telemedia Act (Parts C and D) are not publicly accessible. In the event of a specific request for individual Internet addresses, information will be provided.
Cellular self-control
The mobile phone providers who are members of the FSM have drawn up a code of conduct that regulates the protection of minors in the media in the mobile phone sector. The defined measures include a free youth protection hotline on 22988 and an educational website that was created in cooperation with klicksafe and the state office for child and youth protection Saxony-Anhalt.
Self-control of the chat provider
The sub-code of conduct for chat providers contains measures to protect children when using chats from possible risks such as sexual assault or cyberbullying .

Subject of the work of the complaints office

The Complaints Office processes complaints that are directed against content that violates the protection of minors in the media and the protection of human dignity. This includes in particular the following content:

Sanction options

If a complaint against an FSM member is justified, the complaints office has four sanction options:

  • Notice with remedy
  • Reprimand
  • Club penalty (amount of money)
  • Exclusion from the association

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Taz: Totally protected legal interests , March 27, 2003
  2. ↑ Media Handbook Germany. Watch TV. Radio. Press. Multimedia. Movie. Edited by Gerd G. Kopper. Hamburg, Rowohlt Taschenbuch Verlag, December 2006.