Los Angeles To Impose Restrictions On Gaming Cybercafes

Posted by simoniker on Thursday July 8, 2004 @11:42AM from the no-play-til-midnight dept.

Thanks to the L.A. Daily News for its story discussing new safety-related restrictions for cybercafes in Los Angeles, including "restricted hours for children, video surveillance and interior waiting areas." Apparently: "Council members voted 11-0 to place rules on roughly 30 cybercafes in Los Angeles that draw a primarily teenage clientele to play video games on high-speed computers linked to the Internet", following "a melee outside the NetStreet Cafe in Northridge [that] left two people injured in December 2002 [and was linked to Counter-Strike in some stories]." Councilman Greg Smith commented: "Cybercafes are not inherently bad or troublesome, it's the attractive nuisance that they provide to children... It's just the nature of the beast that they draw people late at night and provide a place to go that may attract problems." Update: 07/08 23:56 GMT by S : A commenter points to a detailed analysis of the requirements from someone involved in the negotiations, who concludes: "This is actually a victory for the nascent and struggling [cybercafe] industry."

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So is this the new cause of todays problems? by NickMc2000 · 2004-07-08 11:55 · Score: 3, Interesting

Seriously people, come on. Is this the new thing that is corrupting our youth? I know that the article did not actually say that, but it was infering to it. This must be the line of thought of these people forming the laws-"The cafe is a place where young people congregate and there seems to be some crime there...well i guess we better start regualting that place." Why not look at the causes at the problems, not the effects. Why is there crime there? Did it have anything to do with the cafe? Will this law really change anything?