Netflix has partnered with a British firm to label all its content with age ratings generated by an algorithm.
The British Board Film Classification, which also rates films in Cinemas, worked with Netflix to develop the technology.
The age ratings will help parents manage their children’s profiles better, as they can now filter out inappropriate content.
The British government welcomed the move, saying it will would aid in efforts to protect children against online harm.
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Digital and Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage said: “This government is committed to ensuring new technology is safe for everyone to enjoy.
“And we are keen to see online platforms doing all they can to protect children.
“Putting the BBFC’s trusted ratings on all shows and films on Netflix will help parents and young people make the right choices to avoid age-inappropriate content.
“I welcome this partnership and urge more streaming services to take similar steps.”
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The BBFC urged other streaming apps to follow suit saying families can now watch Netflix content with confidence.
“With people spending increasing amounts of time online, it’s more important than ever for families to have clear, consistent advice on content, so they can choose well.” BBFC Chief Executive, David Austin, said.
Netflix staff watched the entire catalogue on the platform, tagging sex scenes, violence and swear words and then fed the data into the algorithm.
Netflix staff gave ratings for all shows, including those not released for the cinema in under two years. They voluntarily recommended U-PG,12A, 15 or 18 labels for the content.
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The BBFC then audits the ratings as an extra level to ensure compliance.
The BBFC is working with a number of streaming services including Sky Store and Virgin Media.
Daisy Richards, lecturer at at De Montfort University’s Leicester Media School, said,”Whilst Netflix age ratings will be useful in helping audiences consider more generally what younger or more vulnerable audiences might potentially want to watch, and what to potentially avoid, nuanced, honest, and open discussions around the types of issues that these shows present are still key to providing further support and protection.”
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