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Hillary Clinton Enters Grand Theft Auto Controversy
by David Jenkins, Simon Carless
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July 14, 2005
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In the latest development in the controversy over the 'Hot Coffee' modification to Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Senator and ex-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton is both asking the Federal Trade Commission to intervene and investigate the title, and has also announced plans to introduce new legislation to help keep inappropriate video games out of the hands of children.
The Democratic Senator for New York called upon the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take immediate action to determine the source of the 'Hot Coffee' mod, commenting in her letter to the commission: "I therefore urge you to take immediate action to determine the source of this content and the appropriateness of the M rating in light of its vast accessibility, and to make your findings public."
Clinton continued: "Parents who rely on the ratings to make decisions to shield their children from influences that they believe could be harmful, should be informed right away if the system is broken. Parents face an uphill battle just understanding the ratings system. They cannot and should not be expected to second guess it."
Meanwhile, the legislation that Clinton is suggesting would legally prohibit the sale of violent and sexually explicit video games to minors and put in place a $5000 penalty for those who violate the law. This proposed law echoes multiple previous attempts to institute such legislation on a state level, most recently in California.
In reply to Clinton's statement, Rockstar spokesman Rodney Walker, speaking to the New York Times, commented: "We support any effort to empower parents to control what their kids consume, but we also want to strike a balance so that the average video game player, who is not a child, is able to continue to play the games that they enjoy."
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