British Board of Film Classification

(asked on 8th March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will consult with the British Board of Film Classification on the development of the Online Safety Bill in relation to (a) content standards and (b) the regulation of pornographic content.


Answered by
Caroline Dinenage Portrait
Caroline Dinenage
This question was answered on 11th March 2021

Ministers and officials will continue to engage with a wide range of stakeholders on the development of the Online Safety Bill, including the BBFC. The BBFC offers unparalleled expertise in content classification, including pornographic content.

The video sharing platform regime, for which Ofcom is the regulator, came into force on 1 November 2020. UK-established video sharing platforms must now take appropriate measures to protect the public, including minors, from illegal and harmful material. Ofcom, and the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) have a strong collaborative relationship when working on audience protection issues. The BBFC is engaging actively with both Ofcom and video sharing platforms to share their expertise on emerging technologies and the applicability of content ratings.

Over the past year the government has also been working with the BBFC and industry to drive the voluntary adoption of the BBFC’s age rating symbols by video on demand platforms. We will continue to engage with industry to encourage platforms to use BBFC age ratings, and will keep the evidence for legislation in this area under review.

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