U.K. May Overhaul Game Ratings, Child Safety Measures

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 27, 2008 - 11:12am.

London - The video game ratings system used in the U.K. could face a major overhaul, with the number of titles reviewed for content by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) rising dramatically, if the findings of a new study commissioned by the U.K. government and conducted by psychologist Dr. Tanya Byron are followed, the BBC reports.

To this point, the BBFC mainly reviewed games with significant violence or sexual themes, while a European game industry body published ratings for all titles.

"The European Pegi system works for the industry," Byron says in her report, "but the BBFC works for parents and children."

Beyond games, the Byron Review calls for the creation of a U.K. Council for Child Internet Safety, and greater availability of website filtering software for parents.

The report also calls on social networks, and sites with user-generated videos and other content to do more to police harmful content.

 

Related Links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7314751.stm

http://snipurl.com/22sae (GamesIndustry.biz)

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/byronreview

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