LOS ANGELES—The Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection announced the creation of the Sponsor Hall of Fame.
According to ASACP Executive Director Tim Henning, the association’s Hall of Fame Sponsors are those that have proven to be the most generous and steadfast of its supporters, enabling the 20-year success story that the association is today.
“ASACP enjoys the support of a broad range of sponsors, members and contributors,” Henning said. “But our Hall of Fame sponsors deserve additional recognition for their long term commitment to the cause, and the tangible support they have provided us with — and without which, ASACP’s two-decade long legacy of protecting children online would not have been possible.”
ASACP’s Hall of Fame includes industry leaders ATKingdom, AVN, AWE, Epoch, MindGeek and Xbiz.
ATKingdom
A founding ASACP Title Sponsor whose sponsorship dates back to 2002, ATKingdom also supports the association through the efforts of company head Kim Nielsen, who sits on both ASACP’s Board of Directors, as well as on its adult industry-based Advisory Council, which helps the association remain relevant with the needs of today’s digital media publishers.
The company’s flagship website, ATKingdom.com, employs RTA labeling and an ASACP-recommended warning page that does not contain explicit imagery, among other methods of protecting children or unwilling viewers from inadvertent exposure to adult-oriented materials.
According to the company, ATKingdom.com features photos of girls between 18 and 23 years of age. Because of the young appearance of many models at this age, it is vital for a company such as ATK to uphold the highest ethics and most stringent business practices to avoid even the slightest suggestion of underage performers being depicted. Following ASACP’s Best Practices and Code of Ethics and ongoing support of ASACP helps in this regard and reinforces ATK’s industry leadership role.
AVN Media Network
A Platinum Sponsor since 2002, the AVN Media Network has a long history of support for ASACP and its mission, including being the association’s first Corporate Sponsor.
According to the company, it is the definitive source for all that is adult entertainment by covering the evolution of this multi-billion dollar global industry — setting the standard for the business of pleasure by delivering unparalleled content reaching industry professionals, mainstream media, and a diverse spectrum of consumer groups and communities.
AVN protects children from accessing the adult-oriented material on its websites by utilizing RTA labeling as a proactive and protective measure. AVN has also been very generous to the association financially and through material support, extending its hospitality at AVN events, such as providing advertising services and underwriting hotel accommodations, among other niceties that have helped the association carry on its mission — including providing advice and assistance through its participation on the association’s Advisory Council.
Adult Webmaster Empire (AWE)
A Platinum Sponsor that has supported ASACP for nearly a decade, AWE is perhaps best known for its Jasmin brand, the world’s most popular live webcam and chat platform, which unites millions of users from around the globe.
Because of the nature of its services, the company takes its responsibilities seriously; protecting children from accessing its site, while ensuring that its cam models are of legal age — a process starting with the proactive use of an overlaid warning page alerting visitors of age-restricted adult content.
To ensure that the minimum age requirements for performers are met, all of the individuals who register as live cam models on Jasmin.com or its associated sites are subject to rigorous screening, with extensive ongoing measures to monitor the live cam feeds, as an additional means of protecting minors.
Epoch
A founding Platinum Sponsor that has supported ASACP for more than 14 years, Epoch is an Internet Payment Services Provider that enables merchants to process transactions online and through mobile devices, accepting global payments for digital products and services. The company has earned a solid reputation for legitimacy and oversight of client web properties.
Epoch takes an active, two-pronged approach to child protection, ensuring that its services are not used by illegal websites selling materials depicting underage performers, and providing dedicated service on the association’s Advisory Committee — helping set responsible standards and practices for companies disseminating age-restricted digital materials, while providing a board room for ASACP meetings as well as other tangible assets. Epoch’s responsible corporate philosophy puts people (including children) first, exemplifying the type of industry-leading company that makes up ASACP’s most valued sponsors.
“ASACP has always had an important mission, one that we strongly support, which is to advocate for child protection not only in the online world, but also in the physical world,” Epoch’s Rand Pate explains. “ASACP is the adult industry’s venue to achieve this goal and we applaud their mission and congratulate them for their 20 years of service.”
MindGeek
A Platinum Sponsor that exemplifies how today’s top-tier media companies are committed to the cause of online child protection, MindGeek’s generous support of the association shows how the protection of children in the digital age is a paramount concern for everyone involved.
“Families, guardians and business leaders all share a responsibility in ensuring children are not exposed to inappropriate content online,” says MindGeek VP of Global Communications Catherine Dunn. “Everyone has a role to play, and we do our part by ensuring age verification tools are an integral part of MindGeek’s extensive portfolio of industry-leading websites as legally required, so that only those who should enjoy our sites are able to.”
Through its continuing support for ASACP, MindGeek provides a worthy example for other companies to follow in the ongoing fight to protect their businesses by protecting children.
“ASACP is uniquely qualified to tackle the overwhelming challenge that is protecting children online,” Dunn explains. “MindGeek is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor, and have supported the association in this cause for well over half a decade now.”
Xbiz
A founding Platinum Sponsor since 2002, Xbiz has had a long relationship with ASACP, with both organizations founded by Alec Helmy.
Xbiz is a publisher of the adult entertainment industry business news and information at Xbiz.com and in three trade publications: Xbiz World for the digital media market, Xbiz Premiere for the retail market and Xbiz Sensuals for the intimate products market. In addition, Xbiz hosts multiple annual trade events including the Xbiz Awards.
Although it is an industry news portal, the Xbiz.com website sets a responsible example for the adult industry by using the RTA tag to prevent minors from accessing it. The company has also extended its generosity to the association by helping to support ASACP’s attendance at its events.
“ASACP has gone from a grass roots project to a fully fledged non-profit organization recognized the world over because of its vital mission, the unique value it offers law enforcement agencies, and through the generosity of the adult entertainment industry,” said Helmy, who founded the association in 1996. “ASACP’s story is truly remarkable and one that we, as an industry, should take tremendous pride in.”
For Henning, ASACP’s Hall of Fame highlights the efforts of industry-leading companies to excel at their trade and to give back to the community, as well as to the children of the world, whose innocence may be saved by the actions and technology of the association and its benefactors.
“The Hall of Fame represents the pinnacle of the industry, and shows how lawful adult entertainment, corporate responsibility, and ethics, can coexist and prosper,” Henning said. “ASACP has survived for two decades and pursued its mission of keeping children out of and away from adult entertainment because of these sponsor’s continued generosity, for which we are extremely grateful.”
For more information, visit ASACP.org or email [email protected].
