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| Create a label for all or most of your site | Create additional labels if required | Upload your label(s) to the web | Link your content to your label(s) |
First published in 2000, the original ICRA descriptors were determined through a process of international consultation to establish a content labelling system that gives reasonable consistency across different cultures and languages. Whilst every effort was made to create objective descriptors, some subjectivity is inevitable. Furthermore, some ambiguities may arise through translation. For these reasons additional definitions and explanations are provided to support some descriptors.
Following work by a new international group, ICRA published a revised vocabulary in 2005. The revisions were designed to strengthen the original vocabulary by building on the experience gained to date, and to allow the system to be used by the full range of digital media, not just traditional websites.
General comments
“..images, portrayals or descriptions…”
Any presentation including, but not limited to, pictures, no matter how crudely drawn or depicted, written descriptions, oral recitations, and or audio sounds.
Please remember that it is possible to label sections or individual pages on your website separately. You can create as many different labels as you need to describe your content.
If in doubt…
… please try to see the material as you think it would be perceived by someone without cultural, religious or other bias, when he or she decides what material is appropriate for young children. Describe your content in a way that you feel honestly does not mislead cautious parents.
The Shortcut Buttons
Shortcut buttons provide a quick and easy way to label some types of content. Each one simply checks a number of descriptors in the main questionnaire. The label produced is exactly the same as would have been produced if the content provider filled in the questionnaire by hand.
Nudity
The nudity descriptors stand alone and do not of themselves imply any sexual context.
Sexual material
The term Erotica is included in the vocabulary to cover material that is sex-related but does not show sexual activity. Examples include sexually provocative clothing, provocative sex poses and sex toys.
Violence
It is believed that no further explanation is required to support the descriptors in this section.
Language
No further definition is given since, by its very nature, language and the perception of language is always changing.
It is believed that no further explanation is required to support the descriptors in this section.
User-generated content
If you operate a chatroom, host a message board or any other method by which users can directly post content to your site, you should check one or other of the two descriptors in this section.
“Moderated” means that you review user-supplied content before it is posted to the web.
Please remember that it is possible to label sections or pages of your website separately.
Context
This material appears in a context intended to be artistic, medical or educational
The context descriptors allow providers to make a statement about the intention behind their content. Classical painting and sculpture can be assumed to be intended as artistic. Material designed to teach children about sex would qualify as intended to be educational
This material appears in a sports context.
This context qualifier is provided with contact sports in mind, such as boxing. It is not intended, for example, to cover violent online or video games.
This material appears in a news context
This context qualifier is provided to describe material that reports real life events that in other contexts may be considered harmful by parents.
At least one descriptor per section
A valid ICRA label will always include at least one descriptor from each section of the vocabulary except the context modifiers which are always optional. If no descriptors are checked within a given section, the label generator will insert a label that declares that material described in that section may be, but is not known to be, present.
Multiple domains
If you manage several websites, you can create a single file to hold the labels for all of them. It is necessary, however, to list the domains for which the labels are valid.
There is further information on this topic in the FAQ section.
In return for using the ICRA™ label (computer code) you agree to these terms and conditions:
- You acknowledge the validity of the ICRA Marks and that ICRA™ has established significant rights and valuable good will therein. You agree not to impair the title, rights and interest of ICRA in the ICRA Marks, including the label (computer code), the acronym and full name of the organization and the ICRA logos. You will not make any claim to, apply to register, or register the label, any ICRA Mark or any confusingly similar marks. All use of the label and other ICRA Marks shall inure solely to the benefit of ICRA.
- When the registration questionnaire is submitted a database entry is created and ICRA™ will send a label (computer code) which must be placed as instructed.
- By submitting the registration and applying the label (computer code) as instructed you get a licence to use the label (computer code) for the content specified.
- If any of following conditions is not met, the licence is invalid and ICRA™ can remove the database entry.
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- You agree to comply with the instructions for the use of the label (computer code) given on the website at www.icra.org.
- All information submitted through the registration must be accurate, true and complete.
- The label (computer code) must be present as instructed and correspond to the entry in the database.
- The label (computer code) must at all times reflect accurately the content it describes.
- ICRA™ may perform automated and manual checks of the label (computer code) and content at any time.
- Without a valid licence the use of labels and ICRA™ marks must be discontinued and no confusingly similar mark or name can be used.
- If ICRA™ revokes a licence because of misrepresentation of content, notification will be sent to the e-mail address given during the registration questionnaire. If the situation is not remedied two weeks after such notification ICRA reserves the right to take appropriate action including, but not limited to, making the misrepresentation known through lists, web-postings and notifications to the press.
- You hereby indemnify and hold ICRA™ harmless from any claims, suits, losses or damages (including reasonable legal fees incurred by ICRA), arising as a result of breach of this agreement or any other action taken by you in connection with any services, labelled site, misrepresentation, or violation of the registration questionnaire.
- The use of the label (computer code) is entirely voluntary, and you enter into this agreement without any representation or warranty of any kind being made by ICRA™ hereunder. The occurrence and/or results of any review, evaluation, or other proceedings conducted by or for ICRA with respect to the label (computer code) for the site does not constitute any representation or warranty by or on behalf of ICRA, including any representation that the label (computer code) is appropriate for the site. Moreover, these occurrences and/or results shall not give rise to any liability or obligations on the part of ICRA, or any rights of reliance by or for you or any third party, nor otherwise be deemed or construed as being for the benefit of you or any third party. ICRA does not warrant or guarantee that the label will not infringe the trademark, service mark, trade name, copyright, or other intellectual property rights of any third party.
- Upon transfer of site responsibility to others, you will notify the successor that the use of the label (computer code) is subject to these terms and conditions, and that continued use of the ICRA label (computer code) requires re-labelling. Unless so agreed, you will take steps to remove the label (computer code) and the database entry through notification to ICRA. The licence gives no right to sub-license any of the rights granted herein.
- All notices, claims, requests, and demands to ICRA shall be made in writing by registered or certified mail with reply postage prepaid to the Chief Executive Officer at the address given at www.icra.org/contact
- This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the United States of America and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the United States of America.
ICRA™ is committed to protecting the privacy of those who label their content and others who visit this site. Through the registration process certain information related to the registered content must be gathered if the labelling system is to work properly, including contact details for those responsible for the content. Although we may disclose information related to registered sites, we will not give out information directly linked to an individual such as name or e-mail.
ICRA™ Registration
During the course of registering a website users are required to enter a certain level of personal and site specific information needed to administer the registration. ICRA™ regards the data that it collects during the labelling process to fall into either of two categories: PRIVATE DATA and PUBLIC DATA.
PRIVATE DATA include personal information such as name, address, organisation, email address, and telephone number. PRIVATE DATA are collected solely for use by ICRA™ as part of its authentication procedure to protect the integrity of the labelling system. Such data will not be disclosed or sold to a third party without prior consent.
PUBLIC DATA are all non-private information, including among other things, the URL of the content being labelled and the label itself. PUBLIC DATA may be disseminated freely or for a fee at the sole discretion of ICRA™, for example, for use by third party web services.
The registration process is intended for webmasters or people who control digital content. Registrants can opt out and have their details removed by forwarding a request through the form at www.icra.org/contact stating their name, e-mail address and website URL. Details of information held can be obtained by forwarding a written request with proof of identity to the Chief Executive Officer at the address shown at www.icra.org/contact.