BBFC boss writes a 'won't somebody think of the children' campaigning piece in support of the upcoming porn censorship law, disgracefully from behind a paywall
David Austin as penned what looks like an official BBFC campaigning piece trying to drum up support for
the upcoming internet porn censorship regime. Disgracefully the article is hidden behind a paywall and is restricted to Telegraph paying subscribers.
Are children protected by endangering their parents or their marriage?
The article is very much a one sided piece, focusing almost entirely on the harms to children. It says nothing about the extraordinary dangers faced by adults when handing over personal identifying data to internet companies. Not a word about the
dangers of being blackmailed, scammed or simply outed to employers, communities or wives, where the standard punishment for a trivial transgression of PC rules is the sack or divorce.
Austin speaks of the scale of the internet business and the scope of the expected changes. He writes:
There are around five million pornographic websites across the globe. Most of them have no effective means of stopping children coming across their content. It's no great surprise, therefore, that Government statistics show that 1.4 million
children in the UK visited one of these websites in one month.
...
The BBFC will be looking for a step change in the behaviour of the adult industry. We have been working with the industry to ensure that many websites carry age-verification when the law comes into force.
...
Millions of British adults watch pornography online. So age-verification will have a wide reach. But it's not new. It's been a requirement for many years for age-restricted goods and services, including some UK hosted pornographic material.
I guess at this last point readers will be saying I never knew that. I've never come across age verification ever before. But the point here is these previous rules devastated the British online porn industry and the reason people don't ever come
across it, is that there are barely any British sites left.
Are children being protected by impoverishing their parents?
Not that any proponents of age verification could care less about British people being able to make money. Inevitably the new age verification will further compound the foreign corporate monopoly control on yet another internet industry.
Having lorded over a regime that threatens to devastate lives, careers and livelihoods, Austin ironically notes that it probably won't work anyway:
The law is not a silver bullet. Determined, tech-savvy teenagers may find ways around the controls, and not all pornography online will be age-restricted. For example, the new law does not require pornography on social media platforms to be
placed behind age-verification controls.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day is a 1991 US Sci-Fi action film by James Cameron With Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Edward Furlong.
US: Uncut and MPAA R rated for:
2018 LIONSGATE Limited Edition [Theatrical + Special Edition + Extended Version] (RA) 4k Blu-ray
at US Amazon
released on 17th July 2018
Versions and BBFC Censorship
Cut by the BBFC for 15 rated cinema and VHS release. Uncut and 18 rated on 1992 Laserdisc. Uncut and 15 rated since 2001. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US. Exists as a Theatrical Version, a Special Edition/Director's Cut and an Extended Special
Edition.
6,000 life-sized EndoArm units available in the U.S.A. - once these are gone, they are gone forever!!
Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as the Terminator in this explosive action-adventure spectacle. Now he's one of the good guys, sent back in time to protect John Connor, the boy destined to lead the freedom fighters of the future. Linda Hamilton
reprises her role as Sarah Connor, John's mother, a quintessential survivor who has been institutionalized for her warning of the nuclear holocaust she knows is inevitable. Together, the threesome must find a way to stop the ultimate enemy: the
T-1000, the most lethal Terminator ever created. Co-written, produced, and directed by James Cameron (THE TERMINATOR, ALIENS, TITANIC), this visual tour de force is also a touching human story of survival.
Includes:
Life-sized EndoArm encased in hard acrylic dome on an uniquely number stand including James Cameron's signature
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray of the theatrical film
New Blu-ray disc fully loaded with special features
Brand-new 55-minute documentary featuring James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward Furlong, and more
Blumhouse's Truth Or Dare is a 2018 USA horror thriller by Jeff Wadlow.
Starring Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey and Violett Beane.
US: The Director's Cut is MPAA Unrated for:
2018 Universal [Theatrical + Extended Version] RA Blu-ray at US Amazon
released on 17th July 2018
2018 Universal [Theatrical + Extended Version] R1 DVD at US Amazon
released on 17th July 2018
US Censorship History
Exists as a Theatrical Version and a Director's Cut.
Promotional Material
Lucy Hale (Pretty Little Liars) and Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf) lead the cast of Blumhouse's Truth or Dare, a supernatural thriller from Blumhouse Productions (Happy Death Day, Get Out). A harmless game of Truth or Dare among friends turns deadly
when someone -- or something -- begins to punish those who tell a lie -- or refuse the dare...
The government is braced for criticism next week over an anticipated delay in its prospective curbs on under 18s' access to hardcore porn sites.
The current timetable culminating in the implementation of UK porn censorship by the end of the year required that the final censorship guidelines are presented to MPs before they go on holiday on Thursday. They will then be ready to approve them
when they return to work in the autumn. It sound like they won't be ready for publishing by this Thursday.
The BBFC noted that they were due to send the results of the public consultation along with the BBFC censorship rules to the government by late May of this year so presumably the government is still pondering what to do.
'Best practice' just like Facebook and Cambridge Analytica
Back in April when the BBFC initiated its rather naive draft rules for public consultation its prose tried to suggest that we can trust age verifiers with our most sensitive porn browsing data because they will voluntarily follow 'best practice'.
But in light of the major industry player, in this case Facebook, allowing Cambridge Analytica to so dramatically abuse our personal data, the hope that these people will follow best practice' is surely forlorn.
GDPR
And there was the implementation of GDPR. The BBFC seemed to think that this was all that was needed to keep our data safe. But when t comes down to it all GDPR seems to have done is to train us, like Pavlov's dogs, to endlessly tick the consent
box for all these companies to do what the hell they like with our data.
Ingenious kids
Then there was a nice little piece of research this week that revealed that network level ISP filtering of porn has next to no impact on preventing young porn seekers from obtaining their kicks. The research notes seems to suggest that it is not
enough to block porn one lad because he has 30 mates whose house he can round to surf the web there, or else it only takes a few lads to be able to download porn and it will soon be circulated to the whole community on a memory stick or whatever.
Mass Buy in
I guess the government is finding it tough to find age verification ideas that are both convenient for adult users, whilst remaining robust about preventing access by the under 18s. I think the governments needs to find a solution that will
achieve a mass buy in by adult users. If the adults don't want to play ball with the age verification process, then the first fall back position is for them to use a VPN. I know that from my use of VPNS that they are very good, and once you turn
it on then I find it gets left on all day. I am sure millions of people using VPNs would not go down well with the security services on the trail of more serious crimes than under age porn viewing.
I think the most likely age verification method proposed to date that has a chance of a mass buy-in is the AVSecure system of anonymously buying a porn access card from a local shop, and using a PIN, perhaps typed in once a day. Then they are able
to browse without further hassle on all participating websites. But I think it would require a certain pragmatism from government to accept this idea, as it would be so open to over 18s buying a card and then selling the PIN to under 18s, or
perhaps sons nicking their Dad's PINS when they see the card lying around, (or even perhaps installing a keyboard logger to nick the password).
The government would probably like something more robust where PINS have to be matched to people's proven ID. But I think pron users would be stupid to hand over their ID to anyone on the internet who can monitor porn use. The risks are enormous,
reputational damage, blackmail, fraud etc, and in this nasty PC world, the penalty of the most trivial of moral transgressions is to lose your job or even career.
A path to failure
The government is also setting out on a path when it can do nothing but fail. The Telegraph piece mentioned above is already lambasting the government for not applying the rules to social media websites such as Twitter, that host a fair bit of
porn. The Telegraph comments:
Children will be free to watch explicit X-rated sex videos on social media sites because of a loophole in a new porn crackdown, Britain's chief censor has admitted.
David Austin, chief executive of the BBFC, has been charged by ministers with enforcing new laws that require people to prove they are over 18 to access porn sites. However, writing for telegraph.co.uk, Mr Austin admitted it would not be a silver
bullet as online porn on sites such as Facebook and YouTube would escape the age restrictions. Social media companies will not be required to carry age-verification for pornographic content on their platforms. He said it was a matter for
government to review this position.
Cut by the BBFC for 1972 cinema release. Passed 18 uncut for all home video releases. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Promotional Material
A surreal blend of horror, espionage, and erotica, The Nude Vampire follows the son of a wealthy businessman as he is lured into a secret cult that is conducting experiments on a captive mute female vampire.
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean is a 1972 USA comedy western romance by John Huston.
Starring Paul Newman, Ava Gardner and Roy Jenson.
US: Uncut and MPAA PG rated for:
2018 Warner Archives R0 Blu-ray at US Amazon
released on 17th July 2018
UK Censorship History
BBFC Category cuts were required for an 'A' rated cinema release in 1972. Uncut and 15 rated on home video.
Promotional Material
Vinegaroon law goes like this. Penalty for stealing whiskey: hanging. Penalty for not cutting the judge in on a bank heist: hanging. Penalty for speaking ill of New York actress Lillie Langtry: shooting. Then hanging. Paul
Newman joins director John Huston, screenwriter John Milius and a cast of superb sidewinders to turn the real-life Wild West into a tall tale of a Wilder West. Newman tackles with gusto the title role, a self-made man who proclaims himself the
law west of the Pecos, writes admiring letters to Langry (Ava Gardner) and rides into gun-blazing glory whooping “For Texas and Miss Langtry!” Prepare yourself for some colorful adventures. Because these bright talents cast long shadows.
82% more films were classified for cinema in 2017 compared to 2007.
Video on demand continues to receive more BBFC age ratings than any other format
In 2017 the BBFC gave 378 films a 12A age rating, the most ever at the 12A category
In 2017 the BBFC age rated 1,048 films for cinema release, representing an 82% growth in films classified compared to 2007. With a total of 378 titles, there were more films with a 12A age rating in 2017 than ever before. However 15 remains the
most common age rating with 392 theatrical classifications last year. Every film classified by the BBFC comes with detailed BBFCinsight information to help people make informed viewing choices for themselves and their family. BBFCinsight is
available on bbfc.co.uk and the BBFC's free apps for tablet and mobile devices.
Although cinema is as popular as ever, digital content continues to grow, with submissions increasing by 25.3% since 2016, with just under 160,000 minutes of digital content classified in 2017.
David Austin, BBFC Chief Executive, said: Our aim is to support children and families to make viewing decisions that are right for them whenever, whatever and however they are watching, be it cinema, Blu-ray or DVD, or Video on Demand (VOD). Going
forward we will continue to carry out research to ensure that our standards are in line with what people across the UK believe and expect. In February 2018 the Government designated the BBFC with new responsibilities as the age-verification
regulator for online commercial pornography, under Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017. This is due to our acknowledged expertise in assessing and classifying content, including pornographic content, and our longstanding experience of online
regulation. The new legislation is an important step in making the internet safer for children.
In addition to providing the latest age rating information on our websites, twitter account and free app, the BBFC continues to publish resources for children, teachers and older learners including a regular podcast, a children's website
(www.cbbfc.co.uk), case studies and classroom posters.
In 2017 the BBFC's education team held 137 teaching sessions speaking to over 8,000 people across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Sessions focussed on BBFC age ratings, our history and our current work including in the online space.
The BBFC education and outreach work aims to help children and young people choose well when selecting viewing material online, at home and in the cinema.
2017 US TV horror fantasy by Michael E Satrazemis, John Polson, Michael Slovis set for UK Blu-ray and DVD release on 24th September 2018 with 6 extended episodes
The Walking Dead is a 2017 US TV horror fantasy by Michael E Satrazemis, John Polson, Michael Slovis...
Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride.
UK: Passed with an aggregate 18 uncut for:
2018 Entertainment One [Original + Extended Episodes] RB Blu-ray at UK Amazon
released on 24th September 2018
2018 Entertainment One [maybe original episodes only] R2 DVD at UK Amazon
released on 24th September 2018
Versions
Season 8 has extended episodes for 5,6,8,14,15,16.
Previous releases have the extended versions on Blu-ray only but this is not confirmed for this release
The BBFC lists the following extended episodes:
Extended Episode 5 - The Big Scary U (53:01s cf 49:41s)
Extended Episode 6 - The King The Widow A Nd Rick (44:21s cf 43:30s)
Extended Episode 8 - How It's Gotta Be (60:10s cf 59:46s)
Extended Episode 14 - Still Gotta Mean Something (52:47s cf 49:06s)
The Equalizer is a 2014 USA action crime thriller by Antoine Fuqua.
Starring Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas and Chlo Grace Moretz.
US: Uncut and MPAA R rated for:
2018 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment R0 4k Blu-ray at US Amazon
released on 10th July 2018
UK Censorship History
BBFC advised category cuts for a 15 rated 2014 cinema and home video release. Uncut and MPAA R rated in the US.
Promotional Material
McCall (Denzel Washington) has put his mysterious past behind him and is dedicated to living a new, quiet life. But when he meets Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters,
he can’t stand idly by. Armed with hidden skills that allow him to serve vengeance against anyone who would brutalize the helpless, McCall comes out of his self-imposed retirement and finds his desire for justice reawakened. If someone has a
problem, if the odds are stacked against them, if they have nowhere else to turn, McCall will help. He is The Equalizer.
Nobody seems to have heard much about the progress of the BBFC consultation about the process to censor internet porn in the UK.
The sketchy timetable laid out so far suggests that the result of the consultation should be published prior to the Parliamentary recess scheduled for 26th July. Presumably this would provide MPs with some light reading over their summer hols
ready for them to approve as soon as the hols are over.
Maybe this publication may have to be hurried along though, as pesky MPs are messing up Theresa May's plans for a non-Brexit, and she would like to send them packing a week early before they can cause trouble. ( Update
18th July . The early holidays idea has now been shelved).
The BBFC published meeting minutes this week that mentions the consultation:
The public consultation on the draft Guidance on Age Verification Arrangements and the draft Guidance on Ancillary Service Providers closed on 23 April. The BBFC received 620 responses, 40 from organisations and 580 from individuals. Many of the
individual responses were encouraged by a campaign organised by the Open Rights Group.
Our proposed response to the consultation will be circulated to the Board before being sent to DCMS on 21 May.
So assuming that the response was sent to the government on the appointed day then someone has been sitting on the results for quite a long time now.
Meanwhile its good to see that people are still thinking about the monstrosity that is coming our way. Ethical porn producer Erica Lust has been speaking to News Internationalist. She comments on the way the new law will compound MindGeek's
monopolitistc dominance of the online porn market:
The age verification laws are going to disproportionately affect smaller low-traffic sites and independent sex workers who cannot cover the costs of installing age verification tools.
It will also impact smaller sites by giving MindGeek even more dominance in the adult industry. This is because the BBFC draft guidance does not enforce sites to offer more than one age verification product. So, all of MindGeeks sites (again, 90%
of the mainstream porn sites) will only offer their own product; Age ID. The BBFC have also stated that users do not have to verify their age on each visit if access is restricted by password or a personal ID number. So users visiting a MindGeek
site will only have to verify their age once using AgeID and then will be able to login to any complying site without having to verify again. Therefore, viewers will be less likely to visit competitor sites not using the AgeID technology, and
simultaneously competitor sites will feel pressured to use AgeID to protect themselves from losing viewers.
Ofcom have presented some long discussions when censuring several broadcasters. Here is just the most brief summary of each
The Healing School
Loveworld Television Network, 10 November 2017, 06:30 and 10:00
Loveworld Television Network is a religious channel. During routine monitoring, Ofcom identified two episodes of the series The Healing School. These programmes outlined the experiences of several people who had attended events at The Healing
School, which, according to its website1, is a healing ministry of Rev. Chris Oyakhilome (Ph.D) which takes divine healing to the nations.
Ofcom have little faith in faith healers and censured the channel for not suggesting that the people would be better advised to consult a doctor rather than a faith healer:
In its representations the Licensee stated that faith based healing/miracles is a fundamental principle of the Bible which many practising Christians of various denominations believe in and the Bible is not classified as an offensive or harmful
material therefore the practice or expression of faith as taught by Jesus Christ who Himself performed many miracles and healings as taught by the Bible in our view is not harmful or offensive. It is not Ofcom's role to question viewers'
religious beliefs, nor caution against any particular religious teaching. However, all broadcasters are subject to the Code, regardless of their religious stance. Ofcom's duty is to ensure all members of the public watching television (whether
people of faith or not) are provided with adequate protection from potentially harmful material. The nature of faith and the right to freedom of religion does not mean that religious broadcasters are at liberty to broadcast content that poses a
potential risk to viewers, especially viewers who are potentially vulnerable (for example, because of their own health or medical circumstances), without adequate protection.
Our guidance suggests that one approach commonly used by broadcasters with a view to protecting audiences against potentially harmful material is to include a warning, for example advising viewers or listeners to consult a qualified medical
practitioner before making decisions based on the programme. No such warning or advice appeared in these programmes.
The Alex Salmond Show
RT, 16 November 2017, 07:30
The Alex Salmond Show is a political and current affairs series hosted by the former First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond and produced by his own production company.
Ofcom received a complaint about the first episode of the new series alleging that the programme invented tweets presented as real from viewers of the show to direct the debate on his views and terms. The complainant
suggested that this enabled Alex Salmond to pretend that he was merely answering questions from concerned viewers about Brexit rather than trying to control the debate....
Ofcom decided that this was a fair cop and censured Salmond accordingly.
Bible ki Nabouat: The Prophecy of the Bible
Glory TV, 10 January 2018, 16:00
Glory TV is a religious, digital television channel serving Indian and Pakistani Christian communities in the UK. The licence for Glory TV is held by Glory TV Limited (Glory TV or the Licensee).
During routine monitoring, Ofcom identified the one-hour programme, Bible ki Nabouat 203 The Prophecy of the Bible. As the programme was broadcast mainly in Urdu, Ofcom translated the content into English.
In this programme, which was originally broadcast in 2014, two presenters interpreted the Biblical books of Daniel, Ezekiel, Zechariah and Matthew. They said:
The prophecy we are looking at today is based on a period of seven years. When will this period start and what will be the signs? That is what we will look at today. There are many who know that Lord Jesus will return, that there will be war,
that there will be a need to call the 666 number of the devil, that we will have 1,000 years with Lord Jesus, that Iblis [meaning Satan] will be thrown into the fire. They know there will be a fake prophet. However, what will be the system or
method?""
The presenters then proceeded to assert that the Israel/Palestine conflict fulfils the pre-requisites for the war of the prophecy. However in arguing that the conflict fit the bill, the presenters managed to offend the sensitive souls on both
sides of the conflict.
While the comments in this programme were made through the prism of Biblical prophecy, in our view, they portrayed the Arab world and all Arab people as susceptible to the influence of the Antichrist. They also portrayed all Arab people as hating
Jewish people to the extent that they would be prepared to persecute them. The comments also portrayed a negative future for Israel, in which the Antichrist would stand in the new Jewish Temple and in which Jewish people would suffer another
holocaust. Ofcom recognised the primary audience for this channel is Indian and Pakistani Christian communities in the UK. However, in our view the discriminatory and potentially offensive nature of these comments was likely to have exceeded
audience expectations. Further, the wider audience of British Muslim people, who share the same faith as many people in the Arab world was likely, in our view, to have been highly offended by the comments about and characterisation of the Arab
world and people in this programme.
Jago Pakistan Jago
HUM Europe, 15 March 2018, 10:00
HUM Europe is a general entertainment channel that serves the Pakistani community in the UK, broadcasting in Urdu.
Ofcom received three complaints about racially offensive material.
We identified a section of the programme where make-up artists taking part in a competition were set the task of applying make-up to models live on the programme. The first part of the task required the contestants to make the models skin tone
appear darker.
Ofcom considered that specific terms used to refer to the darker skin tone had the potential to offend. These included three uses of the word negro: This stick is called Negro; make sure that you use the Negro skin tone; and it gave him a real
Makrani [black] colour or Negro skin tone -- whatever you call it.
Ofcom were offended by the word 'negro' and noted:
We acknowledged that in the first two instances in this broadcast, the word was likely to be the manufacturer's name for the particular shade of make-up being used. However, this was not obviously the case in the third instance.
Ofcom censured the channel accordingly but it rather sounds that the offending word is a practical term used in the make up industry.
Free Jaggi Now
KTV, 6 January 2018, 21:30
KTV is a religious and cultural channel aimed at the Sikh community in the UK and Europe, broadcasting in Punjabi and English.
Free Jaggi Now was a current affairs programme covering the arrest of Jagtar Singh Johal (Jaggi)1, a UK citizen arrested in India on 4 November 2017, and detained in the State of Punjab.
We received a complaint that the programme included statements promoting separatism in India.
This 55-minute programme focussed on support for the Free Jaggi now campaign. It included a discussion about the alleged torture of Jaggi by Indias National Intelligence Agency (NIA) during his interrogation and detention, the alleged
restriction on Jaggi receiving consular assistance and an independent medical report following allegation of torture, and allegations about corruption in the Indian judiciary.
The long winded censure by Ofcom revolved around a lack of balance in the programme.
We took into account that the programmes broadcast on KTV were mostly of interest to the Sikh community in UK. Ofcom also acknowledged that the target audience for this programme consisted of members of the UK South Asian community, who may have
already been aware of Jaggi's arrest and detention in India. However, we considered that these contextual factors did not mitigate the need to ensure that due impartiality was preserved in the absence of sufficient alternative viewpoints and/or
challenge to the critical views expressed about the policies and actions of the Indian authorities.
Lisa and the Devil is a 1974 Italy/West Germany/Spain horror by Mario Bava and Alfredo Leone. With Telly Savalas, Elke Sommer and Sylva Koscina.
UK: The Original Version was passed 15 uncut for strong violence, gore and sex UK: The House of Exorcism was passed 18 uncut for strong violence, sex, very strong language
2018 Arrow [Original + House of Exorcism] (RB) Blu-ray at UK Amazon
released on 9th July 2018
UK Censorship History
The Original Version is Lisa and the Devil. Later the film was significantly re-edited into The House of Exorcism which was cut by the BBFC for cinema release. Uncut on UK home video and uncut in the US.
Promotional Material
EVERY CORNER OF THE SOUL IS LOST TO THE ICY CLUTCH OF THE SUPERNATURAL!
From the father of Italian Horror Mario Bava (Black Sunday, The Whip and the Body) comes a tale of nightmarish surrealism and supernatural suspense.
Lisa (Elke Sommer) - an American tourist travelling in Spain - loses her tour party and seeks refuge in the tumbledown mansion of a blind countess after being guided there by the distinctly satanic butler of the house, Leandro (Telly Savalas
Horror Express, Kojak). The Son of the Countess notices Lisa s striking resemblance to his dead lover and pursues her as a night of murder, strange eroticism and dark hallucinations begins.
Re-cut in the US to cash in on the popularity of William Friedkin s The Exorcist and released as The House of Exorcism (included in this special edition) the original Lisa and the Devil is Bava at his abstract and delirious best, delivering a 70s
horror classic and a masterclass in cinema as feverish nightmare.
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of both versions of the film: Lisa and the Devil and The House of Exorcism producer s cut
Optional English and Italian audio on Lisa and the Devil
English SDH subtitles on both features and a new English subtitle translation of the Italian Audio of Lisa and the Devil
Audio Commentary on Lisa and the Devil by Bava biographer and expert Tim Lucas
Audio Commentary on The House of Exorcism by producer Alfredo Leone and star Elke Sommer
Introductions to both films by author and critic Alan Jones
The Exorcism of Lisa Assistant Director Lamberto Bava, screenwriter Roberto Natale, Roy Bava and Alberto Pezzotta discuss the making of both versions of the film
Deleted Scene
Original trailers
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
Sharon White, the CEO of Ofcom has put her case to be the British internet news censor, disgracefully from behind
the paywalled website of the The Times.
White says Ofcom has done research showing how little users trust what they read on social media. She said that only 39% consider social media to be a trustworthy news source, compared with 63% for newspapers, and 70% for TV.
But then again many people don't much trust the biased moralising from the politically correct mainstream media, including the likes of Ofcom.
White claims social media platforms need to be more accountable in how they curate and police content on their platforms, or face regulation.
In reality, Facebook's algorithm seems pretty straightforward, it just gives readers more of what they have liked in the past. But of course the powers that be don't like people choosing their own media sources, they would much prefer that the
BBC, or the Guardian , or Ofcom do the choosing.
Sharon White, wrote in the Times:
The argument for independent regulatory oversight of [large online players] has never been stronger.
In practice, this would place much greater scrutiny on how effectively the online platforms respond to harmful content to protect consumers, with powers for a regulator to enforce standards, and act if these are not met.
She continued, disgracefully revealing her complete contempt of the British people:
Many people admit they simply don't have the time or inclination to think critically when engaging with news, which has important implications for our democracy.
White joins a growing number of the establishment elite arguing that social media needs cenorship. The government has frequently suggested as much, with Matt Hancock, then digital, culture, media and sport secretary, telling Facebook in April:
Social media companies are not above the law and will not be allowed to shirk their responsibilities to our citizens.
Update: The whole pitch to offer Ofcom's services as a news censor
There seems to be 4 whinges about modern news reading via smart phones and all of them are just characteristics of the medium that will never change regardless of whether we have news censors or not.
Fake News: mostly only exists in the minds of politicians. No one else can find hardly any. So internet news readers are not much bothered by trying to detect it.
Passive news reading. Its far too much trouble typing in stuff on a smart phone to be bothered to go out and find stuff for yourself. So the next best thing is to use apps that do the best job in feeding you articles that are of interest.
Skimming and shallow reading of news feeds. Well there's so much news out there and the news feed algorithm isn't too hot anyway so if anything isn't quite 100% interesting, then just scroll on. This isn't going to change any time soon.
Echo chambers. This is just a put-down phrase for phone users choosing to read the news that they like. If a news censor thinks that more worthy news should be force fed into people's news readers than they will just suffer the indignity of
being rapidly swiped into touch.
Anyway this is Sharon White's take:
Picking up a newspaper with a morning coffee. Settling down to watch TV news after a day's work. Reading the sections of the Sunday papers in your favourite order.
For decades, habit and routine have helped to define our relationship with the news. In the past, people consumed news at set times of day, but heard little in between. But for many people, those habits, and the news landscape that shapes them,
have now changed fundamentally.
Vast numbers of news stories are now available 24/7, through a wide range of online platforms and devices, with social media now the most popular way of accessing news on the internet. Today's readers and viewers face the challenge to keep up. So
too, importantly, does regulation.
The fluid environment of social media certainly brings benefits to news, offering more choice, real-time updates, and a platform for different voices and perspectives. But it also presents new challenges for readers and regulators alike --
something that we, as a regulator of editorial standards in TV and radio, are now giving thought for the online world.
In new Ofcom research, we asked people about their relationship with news in our always-on society, and the findings are fascinating.
People feel there is more news than ever before, which presents a challenge for their time and attention. This, combined with fear of missing out, means many feel compelled to engage with several sources of news, but only have the capacity to do
so superficially.
Similarly, as many of us now read news through social media on our smartphones, we're constantly scrolling, swiping and clearing at speed. We're exposed to breaking news notifications, newsfeeds, shared news and stories mixed with other types of
content. This limits our ability to process, or even recognise, the news we see. It means we often engage with it incidentally, rather than actively.
In fact, our study showed that, after being exposed to news stories online, many participants had no conscious recollection of them at all. For example, one recalled seeing nine news stories online over a week -- she had actually viewed 13 in one
day alone. Others remembered reading particular articles, but couldn't recall any of the detail.
Social media's attraction as a source of news also raises questions of trust, with people much more likely to doubt what they see on these platforms. Our research shows only 39% consider social media to be a trustworthy news source, compared to
63% for newspapers, and 70% for TV.
Fake news and clickbait articles persist as common concerns among the people taking part in our research, but many struggle to check the validity of online news content. Some rely on gut instinct to tell fact from fiction, while others seek
second opinions from friends and family, or look for established news logos, such as the Times. Many people admit they simply don't have the time or inclination to think critically when engaging with news, which has important implications for our
democracy.
Education on how to navigate online news effectively is, of course, important. But the onus shouldn't be on the public to detect and deal with fake and harmful content. Online companies need to be much more accountable when it comes to curating
and policing the content on their platforms, where this risks harm to the public.
We welcome emerging actions by the major online players, but consider that the argument for independent regulatory oversight of their activities has never been stronger. Such a regime would need to be based on transparency, and a set of clear
underpinning principles.
In practice, this would place much greater scrutiny on how effectively the online platforms respond to harmful content to protect consumers, with powers for a regulator to enforce standards, and act if these are not met. We will outline further
thoughts on the role independent regulation could play in the autumn.
When it comes to trust and accountability, public service broadcasters like the BBC also have a vital role to play. Their news operations provide the bedrock for much of the news content we see online, and as the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom
will continue to hold them to the highest standards.
Ofcom's research can help inform the debate about how to regulate effectively in an online world. We will continue to shine a light on the behavioural trends that emerge, as people's complex and evolving relationship with the media continues to
evolve.
And perhaps if you have skimmed over White's piece a bit rapidly, here is the key paragraph again:
In practice, this would place much greater scrutiny on how effectively the online platforms respond to harmful content to protect consumers, with powers for a regulator to enforce standards, and act if these are not met. We will outline
further thoughts on the role independent regulation could play in the autumn.
Deadtime Stories is a 1986 USA comedy horror by Jeffrey Delman.
Starring Scott Valentine, Nicole Picard and Matt Mitler.
UK: Probably the cut UK version was passed 18 without BBFC cuts for:
2018 88 Films (RB) Blu-ray at UK Amazon
released on 27th August 2018
The BBFC did not provide a short Insight statement. This typically means that the BBFC did not reassess the rating and reissued an old rating. To do this the latest submission must be the same as the old version submitted previously.
Censorship History
Cut by the BBFC for 18 rated VHS in 1986. Presumably the same version is 18 rated for 2018 Blu-ray. Also cut in the US for an MPAA R rating. The film has yet to be released uncut.
Promotional Material
In the creepy compendium style of CREEPSHOW (1982) comes DEADTIME STORIES (1986) a collection of stories with teeth and torment that are sure to send chills down the spines of viewers even today! A sleazy and shocking pack
of splatter fairy tales - this contemporary spin on the likes of "Little Red Riding Hood" has gore aplenty, a sick sense of humour and enough splattered limbs to make for essential late night viewing. Directed by genre veteran Jeffrey
Delman and packed full of plastic fantastic charms, 88 Films is enthusiastic about keeping you up at night with this perfectly resto
Alice Sweet Alice is a 1976 USA horror mystery thriller by Alfred Sole.
With Linda Miller, Mildred Clinton and Paula E Sheppard.
UK: Previously passed 18 uncut for strong gory violence and horror for:
2018 88 Films (RB) Blu-ray at UK Amazon
released on 9th July 2018
UK Censorship History
Uncut for 1977 cinema release. Cut by the BBFC for animal cruelty in 1998 and 2003. Passed 18 uncut by the BBFC in 2014.
Promotional Material
When ten-year-old Karen (Brooke Shields in her first screen appearance) is killed in church on the occasion of her first communion, her seemingly innocent older sister Alice (Paula Sheppard) becomes the prime suspect.
Matters become complicated as more of Alice s family members are attacked, along with residents of her apartment building. Can a twelve-year-old girl be capable of such mayhem, or is someone else with a vicious plan destroying her family?
David Austin as penned what looks like an official BBFC campaigning piece trying to drum up support for
the upcoming internet porn censorship regime. Disgracefully the article is hidden behind a paywall and is restricted to Telegraph paying subscribers.
The Telegraph reveals:
BBFC launches its Annual Report & Accounts 2017
The Healing School 
The Alex Salmond Show 
Bible ki Nabouat: The Prophecy of the Bible 
Jago Pakistan Jago 
Free Jaggi Now 
Sharon White, the CEO of Ofcom has put her case to be the British internet news censor, disgracefully from behind
the paywalled website of the The Times.
