Letting Children be Children
freely availably to children and shown to respondents included topless lap dancing; strip tease routines; other sexualised breast nudity; and sexualised violence."
BBFC, Call for Evidence response
34.
Although the VRA only applies to video works sold in hard copy, our view is that rating music videos in hard copy will have a beneficial knock—on effect to all methods of distributing music videos. We believe that once music videos are age rated in hard copy, media providers will be able to use that rating, in addition to the existing Broadcasting Code, to decide how and when to broadcast music videos or carry them on a website.
35.
It will also enable companies who display age guidance warnings and advice to reflect age—appropriateness of music videos in a way they cannot currently do. In addition, such age rating information may also help to ensure that parental controls on televisions, computers, phones and other devices start to filter music videos more effectively than at present.
RECOMMENDATION
4.
Introducing Age Rating for Music Videos. Government should consult as a matter of priority on whether music videos should continue to be treated differently from other genres, and whether the exemption from the Video Recordings Act 1984 and 2010, which allows them to be sold without a rating or certificate, should be removed.As well as ensuring hard copy sales are only made on an age—appropriate basis, removal of the exemption would assist broadcasters and internet companies in ensuring that the content is made available responsibly. ACTION: Government
User-generated content on the internet
35.
Generating their own content is one way that children and young people express themselves online. For example, Ofcom’s 2011 UK Children's Media Literacy report (Ofcom, 2011(2)) showed that 80 per cent of the 12-15 year olds surveyed have set up a profile on a social networking site, and 61 per cent have uploaded photos to a website. However, others have expressed concern that user—generated content such as video clips can be uploaded to a video—sharing website by anyone and viewed by anyone (for example NSPCC, 2011).And some children are clearly unaware of the possible consequences of what they are doing when they create and upload their own content, and of the need to take privacy and issues of reputation seriously.
36.
Whilst underage and inappropriate use of these services is against the terms and conditions of most sites, the sheer volume of content uploaded each day, and the fact that it is 'owned' by the user, means that many organisations are either reluctant to commit to removing it or do not have the resources to do so. Compared with text, it is much harder to filter video and audio automatically and this presents additional difficulties.
34
