UK censor launches online content classification drive

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has launched its online classification system for downloadable movies and games. The voluntary scheme asks online retailers to display the BBFC’s age-suitability classification prominently on each title's download page. Additional BBFC certification information, including what …

[Jamie]

Yeah Piracy

At least then you don't have to give extra details to access a movie.

This type of action will just cause people who would buy the movie to look elsewhere like PB or Mini

[Henry Cobb]

URL please

How do I search the BBFC site for the most appalling content?

And do they support keyword searches for type of activity, actress and tools used?

[Anonymous Coward]

The BBFC should talk to itself on occasions...

From thhe BBC web site on the subject ...

"Mr Johnson [head of policy at the BBFC] said the scheme, called BBFC.online, was not an attempt to censor the internet, nor to regulate online video gaming."

"Mr Cooke [director of the BBFC] said he hoped the voluntary scheme would obviate the need for any legislation to cover downloadable video content in the UK."

... so, that'll be censorship then.

Paris, 'cause she should talk with herself more often too!

[Anonymous Coward]

More surveillance

When you access anything online you have to give an age verification account which has verified your ID. Brilliant idea, stick it.

[Lyndon Hills]

Survey results

I'd love to see the questions that were asked to obtain these results. I personally couldn't care less if the certificate is there or not, and I suspect that most adults would feel the same way.

[Steve]

Will it be accountable?

I'm sick and tired of finding entertainment that's been rated as 18+ only to discover it's completely tame. We need a new classification - something like 18 Gold - which absolutely *guarantees* the gore level.

I want my cheerleaders ripped to shreds by slavering hell-hounds not mildly gnawed by a Jack Russell!

To be honest, if I hear that the BBFC doesn't like something, I'll go out of my way to find it. I resent the implication that I, as a member of the public, am inherently incapable of seeing anything on TV without imitating it. Fortunately our betters have decided to protect our feeble minds from anything that has not been vetted by the BBFC.

[Matt Thornton]

@ Michelle

I don't understand your argument. Seems the two quotes are quite complementary.

[dreadful scathe]

@Michelle Knight

no, its not censorship - he said "obviate the need for any legislation to cover downloadable video " so its...er...downloadable isn't it. Wheres the censorship ?

paris hilton would have been able to figure this out

[Anonymous Coward]

RE: Survey Results

Sod the questions; who the hell did they survey?!

I have never heard such twosh, and firmly believe that they have manipulated the results or targeted a certain group of people (Mary Whitehouse and co!)...

I did a survey about this only last year, and the results were very different - comments along the line of (and I quote): "What's the point when a lot of the content isn't based in the UK?", "what jurisdication do they have to classify something held in another country", "Bloody BBFC sticking their nose in when not wanted".. etc.

There is a place for classification, but not really on downloadable content...

[Alan Parsons]

hahahaha

So they're asking companies to join a VOLUNTARY SCHEME that will MANDATE that they then MUST demonstrate that they're doing age verification.. So if I owned a company that offered downloads of U rated films only I'd say "Yes". But if I operate a free porn site I'm hardly likely to go for it, am I?

QUOTE

the board said it expects “the majority of online digital sales to be going through the service” within a few months.

UNQUOTE

Hold on - have I missed something here? The majority of online digital sales (if we're talking about movies) is porn. Porn porn porn porn porn. If porn is being SOLD then 99 times out of 100 that's via a credit card anyway. If kids wanna watch porn they're not gonna buy it. What's the point?

[Anonymous Coward]

please

Please join our voluntary schemes or else we'll make up some laws to force you.

[Simon Richardson]

Self defeating

To buy stuff on the net you generally have to be 18 anyway (credit card). So what's the point? Except, maybe, money for the censor's pocket. Or do they expect file-sharing sites to put up age filters too? Get real! This will just drive media dealing further underground.

[Kanhef]

Tyranny of the minority

Most people want a little bit of information about the content of the movie they're going to watch and keep 6-year-olds from seeing X-rated material. Same as going to the cinema. There's nothing about censorship or preventing anything from being distributed.

And a few, very vocal, paranoid twats don't want to have to give out any information about themselves whatsoever. Nevermind that you have to give them the credit card anyway to pay for the movie before you can download it.

[Graham Marsden]

Tyranny of the Ignorant...

WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE POOR LITTLE CHILDREN!!!

After all, we all know that they're just defenseless little things who need to be covered in bubble wrap and cotton wool and everyone should be required to make sure that everything on the web is censored so it can't corrupt their delicate little minds.

Perish the thought that their *PARENTS* should take any responsibility for what their children see...

[Moss Icely Spaceport]

UK

No 1 Nanny State

[Anonymous Coward]

@ me .. I think.

Mr Johnson [head of policy at the BBFC] said the scheme, called BBFC.online, was not an attempt to censor the internet, nor to regulate online video gaming."

... they don't want to regulate the internet

"Mr Cooke [director of the BBFC] said he hoped the voluntary scheme would obviate the need for any legislation to cover downloadable video content in the UK."

.. voluntary scheme ... censor yourselves or well do it for you.