Department for Culture, Media and Sport written question – answered at on 16 November 2023.
Nicholas Fletcher
Conservative, Don Valley
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that streaming content is age appropriate for viewers.
John Whittingdale
The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Media Bill, introduced to Parliament on 8 November, will give ofcom new powers to draft and enforce a Video-on-demand Code, aimed at mainstream TV-like on-demand services. This will be similar to the Broadcasting Code, which sets out appropriate standards for content on linear television. The Code will include new rules for on-demand content including rules on harmful and offensive material, and specific protections for under-eighteens.
Ofcom will also be given an enhanced ongoing duty to assess video-on-demand providers’ audience protection measures, such as pin codes, content warnings, and age ratings, to ensure that the systems put in place to protect younger audiences are effective and fit for purpose.
Yes2 people think so
No2 people think not
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Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries, with responsibilities across television, radio, telecommunications and wireless communications services.
Ofcom Web Site http://www.ofcom.org.uk
