 
|
UK Censor ListContact details |
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)
|
The ASA write and enforce advertising rules across most of UK media (including websites as of 1st March 2011)
ASA Pages:
Melon Farmers Pages: |
ASA
Advertising Standards Authority
Tel: 020 7492 2222 CAP/BCAP
Tel: 020 7492 2200 for advertising advice |
|
Authority for Television on Demand (ATVOD)
|
ATVOD was the Internet TV censor until 1st January 2016. Now its duties have been taken over by Ofcom | |
|
British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) |
Film Censor with the remit:
The BBFC is an independent company tasked with UK film, video and games censorship. It is funded through classification fees. For cinema the BBFC historically represented the interests of the film industry to ensure that film makers avoided legal issues from obscenity law etc. BBFC cinema ratings are advisory and the ultimate censorship responsibility lies with local authorities. In the vast majority of cases BBFC advice is accepted by councils. But advice has often been overruled to ban BBFC certificated films or to allow BBFC banned films. For home video, DVD, Blu-ray and some video games, the BBFC acts as a government designated censor. BBFC decisions are enforced by law via the Video Recordings Act of 2010. For online films the BBFC offers a voluntary scheme of reusing BBFC vide certificates for online works. The BBFC will also rate online exclusive material if requested. Note that the Video Recordings Act does not apply online and content is only governed by the law of the land, particularly the Obscene Publications Act and Dangerous Pictures Act. The BBFC is due to relinquish responsibility for video games in July 2012. The Video Standards Council will take over the role and ratings will be provided using Europe wide PEGI ratings and symbols. Not that rejected home media is banned from sale. It is not generally illegal to possess. However criminal law makes it illegal to possess child & extreme porn. BBFC Pages:
Melon Farmers Pages: |
BBFC 3 Soho Square, London, W1V 6HD
Tel: 020 7440 1570
www.bbfc.co.uk BBFC Directors:
BBFC Ratings:
|
|
British Broadcasting Corporation |
UK state Radio and TV broadcaster
The BBC has had a history of self regulation but now Ofcom has also been appointed to some aspects of TV censorship applied to the BBC. A memorandum of understanding between the 2 parties states: Both the BBC and Ofcom have duties to consider standards complaints. The Trust is required to establish and maintain procedures for the handling and resolution of complaints about standards in the content of the BBC's services, including complaints regarding BBC editorial guidelines designed to secure appropriate standards, accuracy and impartiality, Ofcom's Fairness Code and the relevant programme standards as set out above. Ofcom is also required to consider and adjudicate on fairness complaints and to establish procedures for the handling and resolution of complaints about the observance by the BBC of standards referred to above. BBC Pages: Ofcom pages Melon Farmers Pages: |
Complaints:
BBC Complaints
Tel: 03700 100 222 See also Ofcom |
|
BBC Trust |
The BBC Trust is the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). It is operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and aims to act in the best interests of licence fee payers.
The Trust is supported by a team of 70 staff, known as the Trust Unit. These staff are independent from the BBC Executive and include specialists in audience research, performance analysis, and finance. BBC Trust Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
BBC Trust Unit 180 Great Portland Street London W1W 5QZ Email: trust.enquiries@bbc.co.uk |
Cinema Advertising Association |
The Cinema Advertising Association took over responsibility for pre-vetting cinema adverts in April 2016. The BBFC retains responsibility for trailers and public information films.
The primary function of the CAA is to promote, monitor and maintain standards of cinema advertising. This includes pre-vetting all cinema commercials to ensure conformity with relevant advertising codes.
The CAA Copy Panel clears commercials for exhibition in cinemas in the UK and Republic of Ireland. No commercial may be exhibited in a cinema unless it has been cleared. For exhibition in the UK, cinema commercials must comply with the British Code of
Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (the CAP Code). There will be a charge of £100 + vat per item for this service |
Cinema Advertising Association Corinthian House 279 Tottenham Court Road London W1T 7RJ Tel: +44 20 7199 2433 Email: submissions@cinemaadvertisingassociation.com Website: cinemaadvertisingassociation.co.uk Complaints: Complaints page |
|
Channel 4 |
Channel 4 is a UK commercial TV broadcaster
Melon Farmers Pages: |
Channel 4 Enquiries PO Box 1058 Belfast BT1 9DU Tel: 0845 076 0191 Viewer enquiries |
|
Channel 5 |
Channel 5 is a UK commercial TV broadcaster
Channel 5 Pages Melon Farmers Pages: |
Customer Services Five Television 22 Long Acre London WC2E 9LY Tel: 08457 050505 Tel: 020 7421 7270 Email: customerservices@five.tv |
|
Clearcast |
Clearcast are not official regulators. They are a group funded by broadcasters. Clearcast maintain expertise about ASA/TV advertising rules for the benefit of broadcasters and advertisers.
Broadcast advertisers submit adverts to Clearcast for approval. Clearcast also assign child protection restrictions. Clearcast decisions can be, and often are, challenged by the ultimate advertising censors of the ASA Clearcast Pages Melon Farmers Pages: |
Note: Public complaints about broadcast advertising should be addressed to the ASA
Clearcast
Tel: 020 7339 4700 |
Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit |
The Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) was set up in 2010 by ACPO (and run by the Metropolitan Police) to remove unlawful terrorist material content from the Internet, with a specific focus on UK based material.
CTIRU works with internet platforms to identify content which breaches their terms of service and requests that they remove the content. CTIRU also compiles a list of URLs for material hosted outside the UK which are blocked on networks of the public estate. As of December 2017, CTIRU is linked to the removal of 300,000 pieces of illegal terrorist material from the internet |
The Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit is run by the Metropolitan Police but offers no specific public contact details |
|
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) |
The Crown Prosecution Service is the Government Department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales.
It is responsible for:
The CPS define many of the archaic BBFC guidelines used for censoring R18 hardcore. In general the CPS maintain their current interpretation of vague laws used to decide when prosecutions will take place. CPS Pages |
The Crown Prosecution Service Rose Court 2 Southwark Bridge London SE1 9HS Tel: 020 3357 0000 |
|
Department for Culture, Media and Sport |
Government department responsible for film and broadcasting.
Often the final responsibility for censorship reverts to the Home Office, especially when the censorial line is defined by legality. DCMS Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
Department for Culture Media and Sport 2-4 Cockspur Street London SW1Y 5DH
Email: enquiries@culture.gov.uk |
|
Home Office |
Government department responsible for most law and order issues that underpin UK censorship
Home Office Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
Direct Communications Unit (public enquiries) 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF
Email: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk |
|
ICSTIS |
Now Phone-Paid Services Authority | |
IMPRESS |
Impress is a UK press regulator following the template suggested by the Leveson report on press regulation in the UK. It was launched in 2016 but has not achieved widespread support from the major newspapers who have elected for regulation by the rival organisation, IPSO. IMPRESS 83 Victoria Street London SW1H 0HW T +44 (0)20 3585 4160 E info@impress.press
|
The Independent Monitor for the PressCIC, 16-18 New Bridge Street London EC4V 6AG
Website complaints:
make a complaint See also Government advice about dealing with the media from gov.uk |
Independent Press Standards Organisation ( ipso ) |
The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) is the independent regulator for the newspaper and magazine industry in the UK. It holds newspapers and magazines to account for their actions, protect individual rights, uphold high standards of
journalism and help to maintain freedom of expression for the press.
It was born in 2014 in the wake of the previous organisation, PCC failing to get a handle on the press phone hacking scandal, Lord Leveson was commissioned to lead a wide ranging inquiry into press and media regulation. The result was that PCC gave way to IPSO which is an organisation supported by most of the British newspapers. A second rival organisation, Impress, was also created with a set up more like that preferred by the Government, however it enjoys less support from the major players of the UK press. Ipso describes its work as follows:
Melon Farmers Pages: |
Independent Press Standards Organisation Gate House 1 Farringdon Street London EC4M 7LG
Tel: 0300 123 22 20 See also Government advice about dealing with the media from gov.uk |
|
Independent Television |
Commercial TV network The ITV Network is made up of 15 regional licences. 11 of the licences in England and Wales are owned by ITV Plc, formed in 2004 following the merger of Carlton and Granada. SMG owns the two Scottish licences, Scottish Television and Grampian; UTV and Channel Television own the licences for Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands respectively. ITV Pages Melon Farmers Pages: |
Viewer Services ITV Plc Gas Street Birmingham B1 2JT
Tel: 0844 88 14150 |
Information Commissioner's Office |
The Information Commissioner's Office is a non-departmental public body which reports directly to Parliament and is sponsored by the Ministry of Justice.
It is the independent regulatory office dealing with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 across the UK; and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and, to a limited extent, in Scotland. ICO Pages
|
Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF Helpline: 0303 123 1113 (Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm) Tel: 01625 545 745 |
|
Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) |
An organisation established and funded by the internet industry mainly targeted at removing or blocking child abuse material
The IWF coordinates take downs of illegal material reported or found on UK hosted websites. It maintains a list of blocked websites of foreign hosted material for UK ISPs to implement Thankfully the IWF is keeping its focus on its role to remove child abuse images. It does also have a remit to take down other UK hosted material:
Note that the IWF ended its role in censoring adult material claimed to be 'criminally obscene' in 2017 IWF Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
The Internet Watch Foundation East View 5 Coles Lane Oakington Cambridge CB24 3BA Tel: +44 (0) 1223 237 700 Email: information@iwf.org.uk |
|
Ministry of Justice |
UK Government department responsible for the law court service and hence the ultimate British censors.
Ministry of Justice Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
Ministry of Justice 102 Petty France London SW1H 9AJ United Kingdom
Email: general.queries@justice.gsi.gov.uk |
|
|
The Office of Communications.
A censor with multiple roles. Roles of Interest to Melon Farmers are:
Ofcom Pages:
Melon Farmers Pages: |
Ofcom Riverside House 2a Southwark Bridge Road London SE1 9HA
Tel: 0300 123 3333 public complaints
Tel: 0300 123 3000 general switchboard |
|
ParentPort |
ParentPort is a website run jointly by the UK's media censors.
It is a central reporting point for parents to complain about anything they see on the media. Complaints to ParentPort will then be forwarded to the appropriate censor. Parent Port Pages: |
www.parentport.org.uk |
|
|
The Phone-paid Services Authority is the UK regulator for content, goods and services charged to a phone bill.
Phone-paid services are the goods and services that you can buy by charging the cost to your phone bill or pre-pay account. They include directory enquiries, voting on TV talent shows, donating to charity by text or downloading apps on your mobile phone. They are referred to as premium rate services in law. The organisation wasp previously known as PhonepayPlus, and before that, ICSTIS. |
Tel: 0300 30 300 20 General enquiries (standard rate) |
|
PhonepayPlus |
Now Phone-paid Service Authority, see above | |
|
Press Complaints Commission (PCC) |
Superceded by ipso | |
|
Radio Advertising Clearance Centre |
Radio Advertising Clearance Centre.
The RACC is not an official censor. It is funded by commercial radio stations to maintain expertise and provide advice about the current radio advertising rules. Radio advertisers then pay copy clearance fees to the RACC. Commercial radio stations have to ensure advertising compliance. They must follow the rules of The BCAP UK Code of Broadcast Advertising. RACC Pages:
Melon Farmers Pages: |
Note: Public complaints about radio advertising should be addressed to the ASA
RadioCentre Ltd
Tel: 020 3206 7808 |
Registered Digital Institute |
The Registered Digital Institute (RDI) have coordinated the Friendly WiFi kitemark scheme for the censorship of public WiFi.
The RDI is a trade group which promotes digital installation and digital service providers directly to the consumer. The institutes explains its role in setting up a standard for internet website blocking for public WiFi:
Consumer facing website: Corporate website: |
Registered Digital Institute Ltd Murlain Business Centre Murlain Hous Union Street Chester CH1 1QP General Enquiries E: info@rdi-online.co.uk
|
|
Sky (BSkyB) |
Sky satellite TV broadcaster.
Melon Farmers Pages: |
6 Centaurs Business Park, Grant Way Isleworth Middlesex TW7 5QD Tel: 08442 410 265 for programme comments |
|
Video Standards Council
|
The Video Standards Council become the UK video game censors starting up in summer 2012. They oversee the application of pan-European PEGI ratings, but can override these with a UK ban if it is felt necessary. I haven't spotted this happening so far
though (2017).
The VSC has introduced a couple of names to reflect this role. The organisation first renamed it self Games Rating Authority but has now settled on VSC Rating Board. Video Standards Council Pages: Melon Farmers Pages: |
VSC Kinetic Business Centre Theobald Street Borehamwood WD6 4PJ
Tel: 0208 387 4020 |
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||
