Age ratings come to YouTube and VEVO music videos
Under a new program designed to protect children from seeing adult content, YouTube and VEVO have announced new age ratings for music videos in the UK.
It is the first initiative of its kind, which will block videos that show inappropriate content. Musicians like Miley Cyrus, Rihanna and Robin Thicke have irked parents with the lack of clothing and rather provocative music videos released on the web.
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) will rate the videos. So far, 132 videos have been submitted for approval. Only one has been added to the 18 and over category, Dizzee Rascal’s Couple of Stacks.
International artists will not be forced to submit age ratings to the BBFC, but in the future we may see more age ratings added to YouTube.
Recently, the UK forced YouTubers to disclose any promoted videos inside the video and in the title. It seems the UK is making YouTube a big focus for film, especially since children and teenagers watch more YouTube videos than cable TV.
Music videos are oftentimes nonsensical, but some try to send a message. The BBFC believes they should be classified under the same ratings as films. The US and rest of Europe has not announced plans to add similar ratings to YouTube content.
Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.