Age Ratings You Trust BRITISH BOARD OF FILM CLASSIFICATION ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2017 REPORT AND ACCOUNTS ANNUAL OF FILM CLASSIFICATION BRITISH BOARD British Board of Film Classification Annual Report and Accounts 2017 www.bbfc.co.uk www.cbbfc.co.uk bbfc-cover.indd All Pages 21/03/2018 12:55 British Board of Film Classification Annual Report and Accounts 1 January 2017 – 31 December 2017 Presented to Parliament pursuant to Section 6(2) of the Video Recordings Act 1984 © British Board of Film Classification copyright 2018 The text of this document (this excludes, where present, the Royal Arms and all departmental or agency logos) may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium provided that it is reproduced accurately and not in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as © British Board of Film Classification copyright and the document title specified. 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Any enquiries related to this publication should be sent to us at [email protected] You can download this publication from www.bbfc.co.uk British Board of Film Classification, 3 Soho Square, London, W1D 3HD www.bbfc.co.uk Contents President’s introduction 4 Chief Executive’s report 6 Accountability 8 BBFCinsight and resources 9 Feedback from the public 10 Media education 12 Research 13 Non-statutory work: bringing trusted 14 BBFC classifications online Enforcement 16 U Universal 17 PG Parental Guidance 21 12A Cinema 12 Home Ent 25 15 31 18 37 R18 41 Video games and associated media 42 Unclassified works 42 Legal issues 43 Statistics 44 Video Appeals Committee 48 Consultative Council 48 Advisory Panel on Children’s Viewing 50 Business review 51 Strategic report 52 Report of the Directors 53 Accounts 56 Photographic credits 72 President’s introduction Patrick Swaffer - President 2017 was a remarkable year. How and good practice both in the UK chaired one of the key panels at the the public watches film and video and beyond. As a member of the 2017 Digital Families Conference in content has continued to evolve, Executive Board of the UK Council October, hosted by The Parent Zone with an acceleration in convergence for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), and Child Exploitation and Online around our offline and online lives. the BBFC contributed to the Protection Command (CEOP). This change particularly impacts Government’s Internet Safety Strategy children. It means that families Green Paper and participated in the The BBFC will continue to share more than ever need the right tools European Commission’s Alliance to its good practice and collaborate to ensure that what they view is Better Protect Minors Online. internationally with organisations age appropriate. Coupled with the whose primary aims are to protect UK Government’s designation of In October, we took part in the Child children and empower consumers the BBFC as the Age-Verification Dignity in the Digital World Congress through classification decisions, Regulator under the Digital in Rome. This major international content information and education Economy Act 2017, it means that gathering brought together academic outreach. in my introduction this year, I will experts, technology industry focus on the increasingly important leaders, leaders of civil society and Consistent application of BBFC contribution the BBFC is making to religious faiths, and government classification standards online child online protection and helping representatives (including the British In partnership with online platforms, families choose online film and video Government) to discuss, agree and in 2017 the BBFC continued to look at content well. take forward measures to protect how we can ensure more consistent child dignity in the digital world. use of our classifications and advice Child online protection for the benefit of British families. We The BBFC remains at the heart Once again we supported Safer will take this work forward into 2018. of child online protection policy Internet Day on 7 February and We believe that the BBFC system of 4 President’s introduction classification meets the key criteria Age verification and child Hails and farewells for a regulatory system to improve protection I should like to welcome Lesley child safety online. This includes The Government’s Internet Strategy Mackenzie and Merion Alcock as having: Green Paper points out, ‘Today’s is new members of the Council of the first generation of children who Management. • child protection at the core are learning about relationships • effective labelling of content and sex in an online world’. It also Maggie Carver, our current so that standards are trusted acknowledges that problems chairperson of the Council of and understood and reflect the ‘...like pornography and bullying Management and I, want to express sensitivities and expectations of have challenged previous our deep gratitude, thanks and the British public, and that the generations. But the Internet has farewell to Graham Lee, former symbols used are recognisable amplified the risks’. The BBFC agrees chairperson for twelve years of • broad coverage with this analysis and supports the dedication and hard work, and • a low cost, efficient, flexible and conclusions of the UKCCIS Evidence to Steve Jaggs, both of whom innovative service that can keep Group literature review published stepped down from the Council of pace with technological change alongside the Green Paper including Management in April 2017. Graham and not be burdensome to that ‘Pornography is the top content- and Steve oversaw significant industry related concern for children.’ changes at the BBFC, including in particular the growth of our The BBFC is supporting the goals The regulation, by the BBFC, online regulatory partnerships that of the Government’s Internet Safety of pornography offline is well- provide families with trusted advice, Strategy by promoting initiatives established and largely effective. whenever, however and wherever that help to bring offline protections However, online the situation is quite they watch content. online, in accordance with public different. The BBFC has therefore expectations. These initiatives accepted the Government’s include our work as the independent designation as the Age-Verification regulator, on a voluntary, best- Regulator under the Digital practice basis, of content delivered Economy Act. This new regulatory via the UK’s four mobile networks regime imposes requirements on (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone), commercial pornographic services ensuring that content which would to impose age-verification controls be classified 18 or R18 by the BBFC to help to prevent children accessing is placed behind adult filters on all and stumbling across pornographic non-age-verified devices. content online. It is therefore a key component of the BBFC’s mission to In addition, in recognition of the protect children and preparation for fact that user-generated content its implementation will be a key part (UGC) is an increasingly significant of our work in 2018. source of content online, the BBFC Alison Hastings - Vice President and the Dutch regulator, NICAM, Education outreach have developed You Rate It (YouRI). The BBFC does not focus solely on This tool enables crowd-sourced, children. As part of our commitment bespoke national age classifications to working with vulnerable adults, the and content advice for UGC and BBFC’s Education Team worked this includes a ‘report abuse’ function. year with librarians working in three A successful pilot project with the of Her Majesty’s Prisons to help run Italian media company Mediaset has film clubs with inmates, as well as been completed. The BBFC believes at a community public library near YouRI should be tested further in the prisons. Following the positive the UK and beyond with industry response from prisoners, staff and partners, and plans to seek support governors, we will continue to look for a pilot. for new opportunities to work with these and other vulnerable adults. Gerard Lemos - Vice President 5 Chief Executive’s report David Austin - Chief Executive I am delighted to present the 2017 of information for parents and an behind any amendments based on BBFC Annual Report and Accounts. efficient and respected regulator for the consultation. industry. Central to the BBFC’s core mission IT infrastructure for fast, is ensuring we remain the trusted In late 2017, we began our fifth efficient service guide across multiple platforms to Classification Guidelines consultation. Following last year’s commitment to help families and children throughout This consultation is conducted invest in our IT infrastructure, 2017 the UK choose well. In the last year, every four to five years, with more saw us launch an ambitious two-year we have progressed this mission with than 10,000 members of the UK project to overhaul the technology we a range of initiatives and we plan to public taking part. It pays particular use. With the project being funded build on this success over 2018. attention to changes in public taste, entirely from reserves that we had attitudes, concerns and changes in built up for this purpose over the last Helping the UK public to choose the law. It is intended to complement two to three years, we aim to deliver well our accumulated experience over a step change in how we operate by The BBFC remains dedicated many years. The Classification providing leading-edge, cloud-based to serving the public, using Guidelines, our standards and systems and processes that will classification to protect children policies also take into account new transform our operation and support and vulnerable adults and provide evidence from other research and future business needs. Delivering a consumers with all the information expert sources. This consultation 30% reduction in turnaround time they need to make informed viewing is our public mandate for all the is a key project objective and we choices. We have been classifying classification decisions we make are already working collaboratively film in the UK for over 100 years, and is vitally important to ensure with industry partners to achieve it.