BBFC (British Board of

Film Classification)

The History of BBFC

The British Board of Film Censors was established in 1912,
by the film industry.
The BBFC is an independent, non-governmental body,
which has exercised responsibilities over the cinema for a
hundred years.
The BBFC was set up in order to bring a degree of
uniformity The object was to create a body which could
make judgements that were acceptable nationally. The
BBFC has needed to earn the trust of the local people who
are in charger of the community, Parliament, the press and
the public.

What Does the BBFC do?

In order to protect children from unsuitable and even
harmful content in films and videos and to give
consumers information they might need about a
particular film or video before deciding whether or not
to view it, the BBFC examines and age rates films and
videos before they are released.
We watch films and videos all the way through and
award an age rating and insight to each one.

Examples of BBFC

ASA (Advertising
Standards Authority)

The History of ASA

Commercial TV started broadcasting in 1955, the
advertisements were controlled by legislation. This was
the first time that advertisements and the claims they
made - were subject to any form of formal regulation.
When commercial radio was launched in 1973, they too
were subject to statutory control.

What is the ASA?

The Advertising Standards Authority is the UKs
independent regulator of advertising across all media.
We apply the Advertising Codes, which are written by
the Committees of Advertising Practice. Our work
includes acting on complaints and proactively checking
the media to take action against misleading, harmful or
offensive advertisements.

Examples of the ASA

PEGI (Pan European

Game Information)

The History of PEGI

February 2001: the Swedish EU presidency suggests harmonized protection of
minors against unsuitable content.
May 2002: an ad-hoc working groupof multinational experts representing
governments, associations and the games industry,proclaims the project
feasible and continues the development.
April 2003: PEGI is officially launched and inaugurated by Commissioner
Viviane Reding.
September 2005: an EC supported industry working group starts developing
PEGI Online for additional protection in the online gaming environment. PEGI
Online is launched in May 2007.
22 April 2008: The European Commission publishes a Communication on the
protection of minors in respect of the use of video games.
12 March 2009: The European Parliament also issues a Resolution on video
games

What Do Age Rating Mean?

The U symbol stands for Universal. A U film should
be suitable for audiences aged four years and over.
However, it is impossible to predict what might
upset a particular child, especially at this lower
end of the category range.

PG stands for Parental Guidance. This means a film

is suitable for general viewing, but some scenes
may be unsuitable for young children. A PG film
should not unsettle a child aged around eight or
older. Parents should consider whether the content
may upset younger, or more sensitive, children.

The content of games given this rating is

considered suitable for all age groups.

Any game that would normally be rated at 3 but

contains some possibly frightening scenes or
sounds may be considered suitable in this
category.

Videogames that show violence of a slightly more

graphic nature towards fantasy character and/or
non graphic violence towards human-looking
characters or recognisable animals

This rating is applied once the depiction of violence

(or sexual activity) reaches a stage that looks the
same as would be expected in real life.

The adult classification is applied when the level of

violence reaches a stage where it becomes a
depiction of gross violence and/or includes
elements of specific types of violence

Game contains bad language

Game contains depictions

of, or material which may
encourage, discrimination

Game refers to or depicts

the use of drugs

Game may be frightening

or scary for young
children

Games that encourage or teach gambling

Game depicts nudity and/or sexual

behaviour or sexual references

Game contains depictions of violence

Game can be played online

What is PEGI?
There are games available on our systems for all ages
and types of players. Just as with films or music, the
videogame market is made up of people with varied
tastes and interests, and the games made by Nintendo
and our licensees reflect those differences.
PEGI Online was launched in 2007 as an addition to the
PEGI system to give young people in Europe better
protection against unsuitable online gaming content
and to help parents understand the risks within this
environment.

Examples

PCC (Press Complaints

Commission)

The History of PCC

The press in the UK has been subject to self-regulation
for over sixty years. The self-regulatory era began with
the creation of a voluntary Press Council in 1953, which
aimed to maintain high ethical standards of journalism
and to promote press freedom.

What is PCC?
The purpose of the PCC is to serve the public by holding
editors to account. We strive to protect the rights of
individuals, while at the same time preserving
appropriate freedom of expression for the press. We
proactively advertise our services and reach out to
people who may be in need of our help. We aim to
promote high standards by developing clear guidance
and practical principles through our rulings, and offering
training and advice to editors and journalists.

Exampl
es

OFCOM (Office of
Communication)

The History of OFCOM

The creation of Ofcom was announced in the Queen's Speech to the
UK parliament in June 2001. The new body, which would replace
several existing authorities.
Ofcom launched on 29 December 2003, formally inheriting the duties
that had previously been the responsibility of five different
regulators-The Broadcasting Standards Commission,
-The Independent Television Commission,
-The Office of Telecommunications (Oftel),
-The Radio Authority, and
-The Radio communications Agency.

What is OFCOM?
Our main legal duties are to ensure:
The UK has a wide range of electronic communications
services, including high-speed services such as broadband;
A wide range of high-quality television and radio programmes
are provided, appealing to a range of tastes and interests;
Television and radio services are provided by a range of
different organisations;
People who watch television and listen to the radio are
protected from harmful or offensive material;

Examples