The Telegraph reported yesterday that the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) wants to classify some online material with the same R18 rating that is normally given to sex-shop materials. The plan would label pornography as unsuitable for children and create a homepage that would be free of pornographic images, contain warnings, and require age verification.
According to a study by the National Research Council in the United States only 3% of adult websites use age-verification tools. Unless these regulations are required by law and are backed by meaningful enforcement most adult websites will not "voluntarily" comply.
The plan is also flawed in its understanding of the Internet and how children use it. The director of the watchdog Mediawatch UK, John Beyer, pointed out that "A lot of children have their own money and bank accounts and so it's not a problem for teenagers to download 18-rated films." Children will find and use workarounds.
The CP80 Foundation believes that the plan is flawed at its base. The Internet, as currently structured, should be rated R18 - for adults only, not individual sites. So long as pornography can be just as easily accessed as the encyclopedia children will be able to access both. We must have a division of content that allows adults to experience the open Internet while protecting children from dangerous material.
The CP80 Foundation is pleased to offer free training to individuals who wish to learn more about the Internet, pornography, current laws and the CP80 Internet Channel Initiative.
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