The impact of media violence on children will be the focus of a wider than expected government review being launched today. It may lead to new voluntary controls over excessive violence and sex on children’s television and the internet and in video games.Gordon Brown stressed that he did not see the review leading to state censorship, but hoped it would lead to a common agreement between parents, programme makers and internet providers that new controls are necessary.
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Speaking at his monthly press conference in Downing Street, Mr Brown said parents were right to expect the government to do everything in its power to protect children from harmful material in a multimedia age. The review is to be conducted by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.Mr Brown said: “The sources of information for children from a very young age now are the internet, television, commercial advertising. That is a good thing in so many different ways, but where there is pornographic or violent material, any parent is going to be concerned.”
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“I am not interested in censorship at all, but I think we do need rules governing some aspects of the internet and videos where children are involved.” He said he expected the media to be fully willing to be involved in the review.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,,2162535,00.html