The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and Hong Kong Internet Service Providers Association (HKISPA) will join hands to implement an Internet content rating system (ICRS) project in Hong Kong to minimize the exposure of young people and children to offensive materials on the Internet.

Officiating at the project's launching ceremony at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center Tuesday, Permanent Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology Francis Ho said that the project aimed at minimizing the exposure of young people and children to offensive materials on the Internet through the joint efforts of the government, the industry, schools and parents.

The project is to introduce the rating system developed by the British Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA).

Under this system, webmasters who wish to take part in the scheme on a voluntary basis will declare their website content via an on-line questionnaire and obtain a content label from ICRA.

Internet users need only to download a free label filtering software to allow or deny access to a particular website based on their own preferences.

Francis Ho said, "A special feature of the ICRS is that it will not rate the content of individual websites. Webmasters will declare their website content on a voluntary basis, while Internet users will decide by themselves whether to browse a particular website."

He stressed that the government has been very concerning about the impact of pornographic and violent information on young people and children. Apart from stepping up enforcement actions, a variety of educational and promotional activities had been organized.

These activities include 10 Healthy Websites Contest, Cyber Ambassador Award, subsidizing scheme to organize public education and publicity activities in relation to the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance, seminars and exhibitions at schools, and the establishment of the Healthy Information Resource Center.

An "Internet Safety Hotline" will be set up under the ICRS project. The hotline, managed by the HKISPA, will handle inquiries about the project and complaints on offensive materials on the Internet, according to Francis Ho.

The ICRS project (including the Internet Safety Hotline) is launched with a funding of HK$1.2 million (US$153,846).