NetIDme’s age-verification software has today been accredited by the British Board of Film Classification for its new media download classification scheme.

BBFC.online was launched in May and uses the Board’s famous ‘black cards’ and category symbols to enable users downloading new media content ? video-on-demand and streamed video which is offered to the public through websites, set-top boxes and portable media devices ? to judge whether it is suitable for consumption.

The scheme was devised after findings showed independent classification of downloadable or streaming video content, either on the internet or delivered by video-on-demand (VoD) services and via set-top-boxes, was patchy across the UK.

Independent research indicated that 63 per cent of adults (74 per cent of parents) were concerned about downloading video material which does not come with independent content advice and labelling. In addition, 84 per cent of adults (91 per cent of parents) wanted to see BBFC film and DVD classification on downloadable/streaming films and other digital audiovisual content.

BBFC.online has been developed over the past 18 months, in close partnership with the video and new media industries and the British Video Association.

The BBFC scheme also requires e-tailers and VoD services to have in place age-verification software such as that produced by NetIDme to enable parents to monitor and control underage viewing. 

Glasgow-based NetIDme launched the world’s first online ID card for adults and children two years ago. Chief executive Alex Hewitt said: “BBFC.online is a revolutionary scheme that enables the application of the same rules in the online world that have been developed over many years to protect people in the real world.

To be one of the first companies to be accredited under the British Board of Film Classification’s scheme - and the only one capable of verifying under 18s - is a ringing endorsement of our age-verification software, which is currently used by a number of blue chip companies.”

Andy Cooke, Business Manager for BBFC.online, said: “We are pleased to commend NetIDme as a novel solution for our members in meeting their obligations to age-verify viewers of digital content in the 12, 15 and adult categories, whilst minimizing the exposure of younger viewers to potential abuse of their personal information.”

NetIDme was founded in August 2006 by Alex Hewitt after he was concerned over his daughter’s use of instant messaging. He was astonished to find that of the 150 people on his daughter’s online friends list she knew only 50.

The company provides patented identity verification and communication solutions for online communities and ecommerce sites. The NetIDme service is currently available in the UK, Australia, Canada and the USA.

It has been found that Young people living in North Somerset are being targeted by “paedophiles and internet bullies” through social networking sites.

The police have issued steps to take to avoid children from being a victim, “Advice we give out includes not putting a picture on the internet or any contact details such as email addresses and phone numbers or where they go to school”

The full article can be read here

NetIDme welcomes the British Board of Film Classification’s new download classification scheme which was launched today. Read the rest of this entry »

Myspace has recently launched “Myspace Music”. It is a joint venture with “with Sony BMG, Universal Music Group and Warner Music”

The full article can be found here

A city council is using the social networking site Bebo to its strengths to communicate their views across to the younger generation.

The council has set up a profile on Bebo “to promote Fairdeal, which is the council’s consumer advice and advocacy service for 11 to 21-year-olds”

From this profile visitors can easily get access to “Fairdeal” where they are able to “get advice on consumer issues and contact the team privately or publicly with a query.”

The full article can be found here

From a survey conducted by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), Teachers from Norfolk speak out “after new figures revealed that more than 60pc of secondary school pupils are being affected by cyber-bullying”.

This high figure is due to electronic devices becoming more easily accessible and more common.

The full article can be found here

Members of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers have “urged parents to become more aware of ‘cyber-bullying’ that may be affecting their children at school”.

A recent survey of ATL members discovered that “over half know of pupils being bullied through the use of mobile phones or the internet”.

Also found was that 16 percent of the members surveyed were “victims of such bullying themselves”.

The rest of the article can be found here.

AOL has bought Bebo for an estimated $850 million in cash. The social networking site has an “audience of 7.1 million people”.

You can read the full article here

Cyberbullying is increasingly becoming a major problems across schools. With bullies taking their threats out of the school playground and onto the internet.

A campaign was launched by the NSPCC to help tackle this very problem in Wreham.

All the representatives from the county’s secondary schools have “received anti-bullying training”. But this has been taken a step further in “Ysgol Bryn Alyn in Gwersyllt is the first where all staff have undergone anti-bullying training as part of the campaign”.

The full article can be found here