Written question asked by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Monday, 21 July 2025, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 4 August 2025. It was answered by Baroness Twycross (Labour) on Thursday, 31 July 2025 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Streaming: Classification Schemes

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the child protection benefits of streaming services partnering with the British Board of Film Classification to ensure that content is appropriately age-rated.

Answer: The Government has not made an assessment of the child protection benefits of streaming services partnering with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). Ofcom, as the independent regulator, now has a new duty introduced through the Media Act 2024 to assess audience protection measures used by video-on-demand (VoD) services, such as age ratings, to ensure they are adequate to protect audiences from harm. The Government will in due course be designating mainstream VoD services, bringing them under enhanced regulation by Ofcom. Ofcom will then consult on a new standards code for these services, similar to the Broadcasting Code. This could include the use of age ratings, if Ofcom considers it appropriate.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL9696
Session: 2024-26
Subjects: Age British Board of Film Classification Classification schemes Streaming
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk