U.K. Website Age Ratings Possible

The British Culture Secretary has suggested movie-style age ratings for websites as an option.

In an interview with the BBC, British Culture Secretary Andy Burnham has suggested introducing movie-style age ratings for websites in an attempt to keep children away from harmful material online. He said:

"The internet is becoming a more and more pervasive entity in all our lives and yet the content standards online are not as clear as we’ve all been used in traditional media."

"I think we do need to have a debate now about clearer signposting and labeling online because it can be quite a confusing world, particularly for parents who are trying to ensure their children are only accessing appropriate stuff."

However, he was insistent that he didn’t favor censorship, noting "it’s not about banning or stopping people having that freedom of expression. It’s simply about clearer signposting, more information, so people know where they’re working."

Although there have been many calls for ways to stop children viewing inappropriate content, no one has yet come up with a viable, widespread system, and certainly not one that can be enforced.