The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), backed by the Government, is working with video-sharing websites Vevo and YouTube to implement the grading system.
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Internet Safety and Security Minister Baroness Joanna Shields welcomed the industry’s move to “help parents to make informed choices”.
The new measures, which have been agreed voluntarily by parts of the music industry after a government initiative, will apply to videos that are deemed unsuitable for children and are produced in the UK by artists who are represented by major labels. Only one video got an 18 rating, Dizzee Rascal’s “Couple of Stack”.
The online age rating system is a must have for governments and parents that do not have the time to monitor what their children are doing.
Independent labels will be encouraged to join in, and some are taking part in a pilot scheme now.
He added: “While we must continue to uphold this principle, it is equally important that music videos are broadcast in a responsible way and that parents are given the tools to make more informed viewing decisions on behalf of their families”.
The announcement brings the practice with online music videos into line with those sold on DVD and other physical media, which were obliged to have age ratings from October 2014 under the Video Recordings Act.
The changes mean YouTube will start putting 18-rated videos behind its age gate disclaimer, which… probably won’t make a difference or change a thing. But if you persist past the content warning that says “this video may be inappropriate for some users”, you will be able to view Dizzee engage in some pretty graphic horror movie-style antics as an unforgiving serial killer.
So far the BBFC have cast their eye over 132 videos, with 56 rated 12 and 53 rated 15, including Calvin Harris” Open Wide for “strong bloody violence’ and sexual references.
Clear age ratings are the first step, but initial findings of independent research commissioned by the BBFC shows that up to 60 per cent of children aged 10 to 17 are watching music videos that they do not think their parents would approve of.
Crucially, only videos produced in the UK will be submitted to the BBFC. These will then by passed on by the labels when they release their videos to Vevo and YouTube.
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Vevo’s executive vice president, Nic Jones said that they were looking into additional technology to support age controls, Campaign reports. The US and rest of Europe has not announced plans to add similar ratings to YouTube content.
