Republicans Slam Take-Two, FTC Settlement

Upset with the Federal Trade Commission's settlement with Take-Two Interactive over "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and took a tough stand against violent video games on Wednesday.

While this particular effort is coming from the right, regulation of violent video games is a bipartisan issue. Senator Hillary Clinton has led the charge on the Democratic side, introducing legislation in the Senate late last year.

Several House committee members said the FTC was too lenient in its punishment of Take-Two. The settlement called for prominent disclosure on the cover of the game of any questionable material, unless the company had already informed the ESRB of its content. Additionally, the company is barred from misrepresenting the content of a game in the future.

As well as the above stipulations, Take-Two is now required to establish and maintain a system where content is reviewed prior to submission to a rating authority. Failure to comply with the order would result in fines of up to $11,000 per violation.

The FTC will also require Take-Two to file compliance reports on a regular basis, according to the settlement.

Michigan Republican Rep. Fred Upton said that the settlement was not even "a slap on the wrist," adding that he thought the FTC would have been more aggressive. The committee's chair, Rep. Joe Barton, added that the commission had yet to report to Congress on its investigation.

In a hearing on the matter, the FTC responded that it did not have the authority to impose any civil penalty on Take-Two. However, the lawmakers would hear none of it.

"[The video game makers] flout the law and continue to exploit our kids with violence and hate," said Florida Republican Cliff Stearns, according to Reuters. He said the agency needed to take a stand against companies like Take-Two in order to protect children from questionable content.

Lawmakers also urged more oversight of retailers, which current self-regulate the sale of violent video games to minors. An FTC study last year found 42 percent of children between ages 13 and 16 were able to buy "M" rated games.

This was an improvement, however, as 69 percent of minors were able to do the same in 2003.