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Review 'to change games ratings' Video games ratings face overhaul
(about 1 hour later)
The video game ratings system should be revamped to make it easier for parents and children to understand, a UK government-backed review has said. Video game ratings need to be overhauled to make them easier for parents and children to understand, a UK government-backed review has said.
The review was carried out by psychologist Dr Tanya Byron, who has recommended a new rating for games aimed at children aged 12 plus. Carried out by psychologist Dr Tanya Byron, it says more games need to be rated by official bodies.
Games currently get a mandatory review by classifiers only if they have "human sexual activity" or "gross violence". It calls for the creation of a UK body to draw up and oversee a national strategy to keep children safe online.
Dr Byron has also called for a UK body to oversee children's internet safety. It also recommends that new PCs be sold with software that will help prevent children seeing harmful online content.
Schools secretary Ed Balls told BBC News 24 that the government was going to implement all of the recommendations in full. Greater scrutiny
"It's a ground breaking report," he said. "I challenge government and industry to step up to make the digital world safer for children and young people," said Dr Byron at a press event launching the review.
He said the government would ensure that websites and hardware manufacturers gave better guidance to parents about safety features and controls. HAVE YOUR SAY A 'new' 12 rating is an irrelevance if the parents don't take responsibility for their offspring in the first place. Neil Smith, Bath Send us your comments HAVE YOUR SAY A 'new' 12 rating is an irrelevance if the parents don't take responsibility for their offspring in the first place. Neil Smith, Bath Send us your commentsDr Byron said her review had led her to conclude that parents' general lack of confidence and awareness was "leaving children vulnerable to risks within their digital worlds".
Dr Byron said her review had led her to conclude that parents' general lack of confidence and awareness was "leaving children vulnerable to risks within their digital worlds". "Kids are the digital natives, she said, "parents are the digital immigrants."
Her review said that "digital world risks are similar to real world risks but can be enhanced by the anonymity and ubiquity that the online space brings". One key recommendation is lowering the statutory age at which games have to go before the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to 12.
Voluntary system At the moment video games only get a mandatory review by classifiers if they have "human sexual activity" or "gross violence"
Each year the industry submits about 100 games for review by the British Board of Film Classification. Each year the industry submits about 100 games for review by the BBFC.
Dr Tanya Byron is a well-known psychologist
The introduction of a statutory requirement to classify games for children aged 12 plus will see the workload of the BBFC increase dramatically.The introduction of a statutory requirement to classify games for children aged 12 plus will see the workload of the BBFC increase dramatically.
The games industry also adheres to a voluntary European ratings system called Pegi. It means some games can have two differing ratings from the two bodies. Dr Tanya Byron is a well-known psychologistThe review also recommends that the ratings system be extended so that familiar BBFC logos seen on DVDs appear on all games sold in stores.
Dr Byron has said games should have just one set of symbols from the BBFC on the front of all boxes which are the same as those for films. "I want parents to be empowered," said Dr Byron, "I want clear logos on all games so parents can make an informed choice."
Pegi ratings will now appear on the back of boxes. While BBFC logos will adorn the front of game boxes, the "equivalent" ratings from Pegi will appear on the back of boxes.
Many in the games industry had been hoping the review would favour the Pegi self-regulatory system over the BBFC system. "The European Pegi system works for the industry," said Dr Byron, "but the BBFC works for parents and children."
"We're very happy with the proposals but feel it could have gone a bit futher," said Keith Ramsdale, of giant games publisher Electronic Arts. A consultation period will be held about the proposed changes to the recommendation system to which the games industry will be invited to contribute.
"We were very clear, unanimously clear as an industry, that we want a single system and using Pegi as that single system will make that much clearer to the consumer. Before now the games industry has favoured a single system and has expressed a preference for Pegi.
FROM THE DOT.LIFE BLOG You have to feel sorry for the video games industry Darren Waters, technology editor BBC News website class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2008/03/classifying_the_classifiers.html">Read Darren's thoughts in full "We don't believe it needs to be legislative; we believe it could be self-regulatory, with some very sharp teeth." The wide-ranging review also calls for more support for retailers so staff feel confident refusing to sell a game to anyone who is too young to play it.
Dr Byron's report has said the online industry needs to take greater responsibility when it comes to policing content posted to websites, such as video sites and social networks. FROM THE DOT.LIFE BLOG You have to feel sorry for the video games industry Darren Waters, technology editor BBC News website class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2008/03/classifying_the_classifiers.html">Read Darren's thoughts in full Dr Byron also wants the government to set up a UK Council for Child Internet Safety that will report to the Prime Minister and be charged with drawing up a national strategy for online safety.
She has recommended codes of practice for the industry, which should be independently monitored. The council will co-ordinate the work of existing bodies who oversee net safety and implement a comprehensive that will educate parents about the benefits and dangers of using the net.
The review has also recommended: Work should also be done to see if there are technical means that can oversee where people go online and warn them about illegal or harmful sites they may visit.
• The creation of a website for parents where they can find our more information about online safety It also called for the creation of kitemarked filtering software that is installed on all new PCs sold for use in the home and which is given away with all new net contracts.
• A comprehensive public information and awareness campaign on child internet safety The review said the online industry had to take greater responsibility when policing content posted to websites, such as video sites and social networks.
• Clear and consistent guidance for industry on how games should be advertised
• High profile efforts to increase parents understanding of age ratings and improved parental controls
READ THE BYRON REPORTREAD THE BYRON REPORT
Safer children in a digital world: The report of the Byron review [616KB] Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here Safer children in a digital world: The report of the Byron review [616KB] Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here She has recommended codes of practice for the industry, which should be independently monitored.
The review's publication follows a report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) which says many young people are effectively being "raised online", spending in excess of 20 hours a week using sites such as Bebo, Myspace, Facebook and YouTube. "We accept all the recommendations in the report," said schools secretary Ed Balls at the launch event.
The IPPR has called on the government to do more to protect young people from inappropriate content. He said the government would legislate where necessary to bring some of the recommendations into force.
The think tank has called for an annual report produced by regulator Ofcom on the effectiveness of initiatives aimed at tackling harmful internet content.
The IPPR also wants Ofcom to police cross-industry guidelines setting out the limits of what young people can expect when on social networks and how to behave online.
More than half of all children surveyed by the IPPR reported they had come into contact with online pornography.