diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/server/ChatProvider.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/server/ChatProvider.java
index 5b0078bea..1a789a36b 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/server/ChatProvider.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/server/ChatProvider.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: ChatProvider.java,v 1.23 2003/07/01 21:53:02 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: ChatProvider.java,v 1.24 2003/07/18 01:58:38 eric Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.crowd.chat.server;
 
@@ -57,6 +57,16 @@ public class ChatProvider
         _autoRespond = autoRespond;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the authorizer we will use to see if the user is allowed to
+     * perform various chatting actions.
+     */
+    public static void setCommunicationAuthorizer (
+        CommunicationAuthorizer comAuth)
+    {
+        _comAuth = comAuth;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Initializes the chat services and registers a chat provider with
      * the invocation manager.
@@ -78,6 +88,11 @@ public class ChatProvider
                       TellListener listener)
         throws InvocationException
     {
+        // make sure the caller is authorized to perform this action
+        if ((_comAuth != null) && (!_comAuth.authorized(caller))) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         // make sure the target user is online
         BodyObject tobj = CrowdServer.lookupBody(target);
         if (tobj == null) {
@@ -165,4 +180,7 @@ public class ChatProvider
 
     /** Reference to our auto responder object. */
     protected static TellAutoResponder _autoRespond;
+
+    /** The entity that will authorize our chatters. */
+    protected static CommunicationAuthorizer _comAuth;
 }
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/server/SpeakProvider.java b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/server/SpeakProvider.java
index d202399ec..9e38efaa5 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/server/SpeakProvider.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/crowd/chat/server/SpeakProvider.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: SpeakProvider.java,v 1.14 2003/07/14 23:46:03 ray Exp $
+// $Id: SpeakProvider.java,v 1.15 2003/07/18 01:58:38 eric Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.crowd.chat.server;
 
@@ -62,11 +62,26 @@ public class SpeakProvider
         _validator = validator;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the authorizer we will use to see if the user is allowed to
+     * perform various speaking actions.
+     */
+    public static void setCommunicationAuthorizer (
+        CommunicationAuthorizer comAuth)
+    {
+        _comAuth = comAuth;
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Handles a {@link SpeakService#speak} request.
      */
     public void speak (ClientObject caller, String message, byte mode)
     {
+        // make sure the caller is authorized to perform this action
+        if ((_comAuth != null) && (!_comAuth.authorized(caller))) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         // ensure that the speaker is valid
         // TODO: broadcast should be handled more like a system message
         // rather than as a mode for a user message so that we don't
@@ -327,6 +342,9 @@ public class SpeakProvider
     /** The entity that will validate our speakers. */
     protected SpeakerValidator _validator;
 
+    /** The entity that will authorize our speakers. */
+    protected static CommunicationAuthorizer _comAuth;
+    
     /** Recent chat history for the server. */
     protected static HashMap _histories = new HashMap();
 
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/server/SpotProvider.java b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/server/SpotProvider.java
index 268775d63..614236495 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/server/SpotProvider.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/whirled/spot/server/SpotProvider.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: SpotProvider.java,v 1.18 2003/04/17 19:17:07 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: SpotProvider.java,v 1.19 2003/07/18 01:58:38 eric Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.whirled.spot.server;
 
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import com.threerings.presents.server.InvocationException;
 import com.threerings.presents.server.InvocationManager;
 import com.threerings.presents.server.InvocationProvider;
 
+import com.threerings.crowd.chat.server.CommunicationAuthorizer;
 import com.threerings.crowd.data.BodyObject;
 import com.threerings.crowd.data.PlaceConfig;
 import com.threerings.crowd.data.PlaceObject;
@@ -48,6 +49,16 @@ public class SpotProvider
         _omgr = omgr;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Set the authorizer we will use to see if the user is allowed to
+     * perform various chatting actions.
+     */
+    public static void setCommunicationAuthorizer (
+        CommunicationAuthorizer comAuth)
+    {
+        _comAuth = comAuth;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Processes a {@link SpotService#traversePortal} request.
      */
@@ -201,6 +212,11 @@ public class SpotProvider
     public void clusterSpeak (ClientObject caller, String message, byte mode)
         throws InvocationException
     {
+        // make sure the caller is authorized to perform this action
+        if ((_comAuth != null) && (!_comAuth.authorized(caller))) {
+            return;
+        }
+
         BodyObject source = (BodyObject)caller;
         sendClusterChatMessage(getCallerSceneId(caller), source.getOid(),
                                source.username, null, message, mode);
@@ -269,4 +285,7 @@ public class SpotProvider
 
     /** The object manager we use to do dobject stuff. */
     protected RootDObjectManager _omgr;
+
+    /** The entity that will authorize our speaker. */
+    protected static CommunicationAuthorizer _comAuth;
 }