Websites to get cinema-style ratings

Joint initiative with Barack Obama's gov could see international rules

29 December 2008 9:49 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Websites could get cinema-style ratings, Britain's minister for culture has said.

Apparently in a bid to "better police" the Internet, and protect children from "harmful and offensive material" Andy Burnham is planning to "negotiate with" the administration of President-elect Barack Obama on international rules for English language sites.

"The more we seek international solutions to this stuff - the UK and the US working together - the more that an international norm will set an industry norm", the culture secretary told The Telegraph.

And, denying that the no-doubt controversial move will affect online freedom of speech, Burnham said:

"This is not a campaign against free speech, far from it; it is simply there is a wider public interest at stake when it involves harm to other people. We have got to get better at defining where the public interest lies and being clear about it".

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Software, Websites, Online