The internet – rated PG

We are all familiar with the film rating system, we all know what to expect from BBC1 pre-watershed but how do we know what to expect from internet content? UK broadcasters and the internet big guns (Google, AOL, etc.) have signed up to an internet rating system for online content in an effort to enable users to make informed choices about what they watch online … as someone who’s been online for a number of years trust me when I say you can’t unsee things!

The effort hopes to make it easier for parents, children and the more sensitive amongst us to filter out offensive or inappropriate material by providing clear information about it’s nature, but it’s doesn’t apply to user generated content as you’d see onYouTube and neither does it apply to advertising but at least it’s a step in the right direction.

Personally I’m against regulating the internet as a whole as regulations are often misused by corporations to protect their market share and silence their critics, but everyone has the right to choose what they watch and the scheme should help users can make an informed choice as without information you can’t never make an informed decision.