UK VOD providers commit to child protection
David Farnor | On 11, Feb 2016
Providers of VOD content in the UK have committed to protecting young viewers.
Members of the Commercial Broadcasters Association have signed up to a Statement of Practice for video on-demand services. The statement pledges to provide on-demand viewers with a range of protections and to make on-demand programmes available in a way that supports the child protection tools provided by platforms.
Signatories include many of the major on-demand services in the UK and the Statement covers their on-demand services that are accessed through a television.
The Statement includes a commitment to the highest possible standards in on-demand programmes, comparable to those on broadcast television channels. It also commits to supporting television platforms in providing the most robust possible types of protection for on-demand catch-up services, such as pin control mechanisms.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, signatories have committed to providing audiences with information about the age suitability of on-demand programmes, so they can make informed choices about the type of content they and their children watch.
Tony Close, Ofcom Director of Content Standards, says: “This industry agreement is a positive and welcome step towards greater protection of children who watch on-demand TV services. Broadcasters play a vital role in ensuring parents have clear information, along with the tools and controls they need to manage their children’s access to TV programmes. Ofcom will continue to work closely with industry, Government and other bodies to help protect child audiences.”
Photo: Miikas