Children and new technology
Thursday, 27 Mar 2008 10:30
The government is to adopt all the proposals to protect children from harmful online content and in video games published in a review today.
An internet watchdog and a new ratings system are among the proposals contained in psychologist and mother-of-two Tania Byron's final report on the risks to children from new technology.
Dr Byron recommends the creation of a UK Council for Child Internet Safety, a public awareness campaign and sustainable education services to improve children's online safety.
On video games her review backs changing the classification system to match that used for films, including the 12 plus rating, and challenging the industry to contribute to parental awareness and controls.
Protecting children from new technology remains a controversial issue, with disagreement about the best ways of safeguarding young people using the internet and computer games.
Last year the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) banned computer game Manhunt 2 for being too violent.
But its refusal to award a certificate to the game was overturned by a successful high court appeal from its producers.
politics.co.uk brings you all the key quotes and comment throughout the day.