Conservative MP Miriam Cates (Penistone and Stocksbridge) was among Tory backbenchers who said age ratings used by video on-demand platforms should be mandated to use either British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) or equivalent standards. The Tory
MP, a member of the right wing New Conservatives faction, told the Commons the watershed for adult content has become increasingly redundant in the streaming era as MPs continued their consideration of the Media Bill, which aims to impose broadcast TV
censorship rules on internet streaming companies. Cates said: We urgently need to apply the same standards of child protection to on-demand video as we do to cinema releases, physical DVDs and linear TV.
She warned the current position of the Bill is to shy away from setting that minimum standard for age ratings, and said Netflix and Amazon Prime have both voluntarily set up partnerships to include BBFC ratings on their content. But the
reluctance of Disney Plus and others to follow suit shows why this kind of regulation is needed, she said. Gary Streeter, the Conservative MP for South West Devon, tabled an amendment to the Media Bill setting out objective criteria for age
ratings, targeted at streaming services like Disney. While he commended Netflix, Apple and Amazon for using BBFC ratings, he added: The current ratings free-for-all has seen Disney Plus classify scenes of sexual
abuse as suitable for nine-year-olds, scenes of graphic misogynistic violence or offensive antisemitic stereotypes as suitable for 12-year-olds, and that is lower than they classify some of their Star Wars or superhero content.
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