VSC given power to ban videogames
Council to act as "PEGI authority" plus receive power to independently ban games
The Video Standards Council, unveiled as the designated authority for videogames classification in the UK, has welcomed the government's decision today.
The VSC will be responsible for ensuring that games coming into the UK comply with the PEGI ratings before they will be given licenses allowing their sale.
"The Government has today taken a major step to improve child safety, online and offline, in the video games sector," said Baroness Shepherd, president of the VSC. "PEGI is a robust, independent games rating system used widely throughout Europe and beyond.
"VSC is the leading PEGI authority, rating all videogames aged 12 and above in 30 countries. By making PEGI legally enforceable in the UK, the Government has shown that it is determined to protect children, help parents make informed decisions and deliver consistency in games rating.
She went on to outline a new power that the VSC is to receive, specifically the ability to ban games independently of a PEGI classification.
"VSC will exercise this new power independently of the PEGI system, providing a 'fail-safe' for the UK - protecting children through PEGI and addressing UK-specific sensibilities by refusing classification of any game which falls foul of the Video Recordings Act. This decision is the right one for consumers in the UK."