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Press ReleaseAlliance for a Safer Internet Seeks to Halt Child Porn on Cox CommunicationsOKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 9, 2005 -- An Oklahoma City based anti-pornography group today announced a petition drive to ask Cox Communications to halt its distribution of Usenet newsgroups through its High Speed Internet service."Cox is distributing newsgroups that are generally known to carry child pornography and other obscene images," stated Paul Cardin, President of the Alliance for a Safer Internet. "It's been going on for years and it's time Cox put an end to it." Usenet is one of the oldest computer network communications systems still in widespread use. Established in 1980, Usenet has today lost its importance compared to mailing lists and weblogs. Usenet, however, requires no personal registration with the group concerned, thereby making hundreds of pornographic image collections available to the children of Internet subscribers. "The material carried in some of these newsgroups is absolutely horrific," Cardin said. "And beyond the obviously illegal newsgroups, there are hundreds of other image newsgroups dedicated to every kind of pornography imaginable. We don't think Cox should be in the pornography business at all and we're asking them to discontinue offering all newsgroups, just like AOL did a few months ago." "Cox has been a good neighbor in the communities it serves. But it needs to be a better neighbor than this," Cardin said. On Friday, August 5, the Alliance notified Cox officials that they were distributing probably illegal material. Appropriate law enforcement agencies were notified on Monday, August 8. Cox Communications serves about 7 million customers in 22 states. Cox's key cable markets include San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Omaha, Oklahoma City, Northern Virginia, Rhode Island and multiple markets in Texas. Cox's High Speed Internet service has about 3 million subscribers. The Alliance for a Safer Internet, Inc., is an Oklahoma corporation formed under IRC Section 501(c)(3) as an educational organization. The mission of the Alliance is to convince Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to stop carrying Usenet newsgroups, which are now primarily used as a distribution system for pornography, obscene material and child pornography. While the initial focus of the Alliance is on Cox Communications, other campaigns will be announced soon. Copies of the Petition to Cox Communications, the letter to Cox executives, a brief history of legal precedents and Media Kits are available at http://www.saferinternetalliance.org. For more information, contact: Paul Cardin, President Alliance for a Safer Internet 405-607-4006 http://www.saferinternetalliance.org |
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