BBFC push for online music video classification system

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has called for an age-based classification system for online videos, in light of the constant influx of sexually-explicit music videos going viral online.

Speaking to The Guardian, the BBFC’s Assistant Director David Austin admitted this call is a response to pressure from parental groups, and that they are currently piloting the system with trade body BPI and Google.

“Google has said that if we start to age-rate videos, they will carry the BBFC age rating,” Austin told the publication. “They’ve also said they will look at the possibility of parental controls in relation to age rating.”

The classification of a music video will take account of any elements which are of concern to parents, including glamorisation of behaviour which they consider inappropriate”, he adds.

Prime Minister David Cameron kick-started the conservation in April 2012 when he considered similar laws to those preventing children from accessing gambling sites.

While the Internet is known for its relatively easy firewall work-arounds, it will be interesting to see how far this goes, and what the implications are.

If the system is successful, it will be hugely detrimental to the online viewing figures of artists like Miley Cyrus or Rihanna, who will effectively have their target market wiped out. Further, it may also change the way in which artists create music videos – or at least lead to a rush in programs that work around geo-blocking.