It has been in place since 1912, but the remit of the British Board of Film Classification is about to update for the 21st century - so it can classify internet content as well as cinema films.
Disclosures released last week under the Freedom of Information Act reportedly reveal cinema-style ratings could be at the gateways of online material as early as next month.
The system, which is likely to apply to material that would previously be delivered in physical film or DVD formats, represents the first time a British watchdog has tried to regulate online content.
But speaking last month, officials at the British Board of Film Classification said piloting ratings online, such as R18, did not mean it was “seeking an open-ended regulatory role” on the Web.
The ratings would apply to a range of audio-visual content, from family entertainment to adult titles, and could also cover online games, the BBFC said at the time.
This week, the sex industry was reported to be backing an online version of R18, which normally applies only to material bought in sex shops or cinemas, The Sunday Telegraph reported.
The paper, which has seen details of the Board’s ratings system in letters to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, said the regulatory move is an attempt to protect children from hardcore porn and violence.
To this end, it is expected that porn and graphic material would be labelled unsuitable for children, and would-be viewers would need to verify their age.
Access to such adult material would reportedly be through a “landing page,” which like the BBFC’s ‘black card’ system would contain warnings before any of the content is accessible.
Surveys commissioned by the Board found 84% of Brits would like to see cinema-style ratings applied to film downloads – a move its surveys show would be welcomed by nine out of ten parents.
Jun 27, 2007
Email this article
Printer friendly page
Previous Page
