Child's Play?

AOL, the BBC, Bebo, Channel 4, Google, ITV and Yahoo! have signed up to a new code of conduct designed to protect children from unsuitable digital content.


The media companies have agreed to follow guidelines set out by the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) and supported by Ofcom to emulate the standards used in existing media.



The fear is that children are increasingly able to access unsuitable content via new channels.



Anthony Walker, CEO of the BSG, said the recommendations were designed to be applied flexibly depending on the platform, such as via mobile or on Bebo’s content channel.



“The principles are based on existing industry best practices,” he said. “They will also be used for new services as they emerge and develop.”



He added that some organisations already apply the rules to content, such as on the BBC’s iPlayer.



Walker hopes to attract more content companies to agree to follow the guidelines following today’s launch.