Parental locks on new TVs from 2011
New television sets, set-top boxes and PVRs will be required to have a Parental Lock from February 2011.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
New television sets, set-top boxes and PVRs will be required to have a Parental Lock from February 2011.
The mandatory lock will give parents the option of limiting access to television shows in their homes based on a show’s classification (PG, MA etc).
Viewers who don’t wish to utilise it will not be affected.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority announced the decision following a review of parental lock systems with industry and parental groups.
“Mandating the inclusion of parental lock in digital receivers supports parents and guardians in protecting their children from content on television which they might consider inappropriate or harmful,” said ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman.
“The standard ensures that certain equipment supplied to the market meets consumer needs for an appropriate and effective protection mechanism for children. The ACMA has worked to ensure the standard is clear and unambiguous so as to assist industry in meeting its obligations.”
Some equipment on sale already offers a Parental Lock, including Foxtel’s iQ.
People considering the purchase of new equipment during the lead up to the change should seek advice from retailers.
The ruling takes effect from 4 February 2011.
27 Responses
Hmm, so it will add a cost for something that is already implemented in many boxes?
yes Tasmanian Devil, you’re missing something.
Apart from the stupidity of the entire operation, it’s going to add a Cost to every device.
So the %,0001 of parents out there who will actually use this option (and trust the broadcasters to send the correct information) rather than take the huge amount of time it takes to check on what their kids are watching, are footing the bill for the introduction?
Oh wait, no they wont, non-idiots will.
I’m in favour of making Parental Locks mandatory for people like Kevin, mikeys, etc., because it’s obvious they can’t read, especially words like “option” and phrases like “Viewers who don’t wish to utilise it will not be affected.”
@Kev. Right on. Now parents have control of each and every tv we should be as consenting adults to be liberated by ACMAs archaic and narrow minded restrictions.
Until we have to ask the kids how to unrestrict our tv’s to watch this stuff cause we can’t undo the childproof cap!
What a twisted web we weave
@Tasmanian de√il
Exactly. Seriously thank **** TV isn’t run by blog posters
[The implication of a high-level profanity renders this comment to be rated M]
Also this will only work if programs start and finish on time, eg the EPG is up-to-date.
And this will only affect consumers who purchase a freeview ‘endorsed’ set top box, because the networks rarely provide ratings for the standard epg.
This would require an accurate EPG with all the fields populated. The commercial stations have already opted out of that, in favour of Freeview. I’m not even sure they can manage to broadcast the correct ratings (or other program information) there.
I’m pretty sure this has been included in the Australian Standards for digital set top boxes ever since digital TV came about in 2001.
Am I missing something or are the people complaining about this doing it for absolutely no good reason?
If you don’t think it’s necessary, you don’t have to use it.
If you don’t think having mandatory parental locks is going to make a difference to the restrictions, not having mandatory parental locks probably isn’t going to make a difference either.
If you think it takes away the parent’s responsibility, what difference does it make? How is that a bad thing? How even is any of this a bad thing?
Can they come up with a category that allows my equipment to block out all religious material, moral lecturing, political advertising, patronising how-to-live-your-life ads such as don’t drink, smoke or speed, eat five vegi’s, pointless promotions for monopoly Government utilities, ads for ACMA’s ratings system, ads telling us the benefits of an NBN, pointless freeview promo’s, and basically anything that comes with an ‘Authorised by the Federal Government Canberra’ tagline at the end?
And the nanny state mentality continues… What happened to parents being responsible for family viewing? I guess it’s another thing handed off in the name of convenience.
@Nathan LOL would be good if that worked sign up for the do not call register we have been on it for years and it stops telemarketers
I bet 99.9% of units will be set to MA and this will have no affect on the end result.
@mikeys, oh next time a telemarketer rings up, I’ll say this conversation is rated M for a mature audience it contains strong language.
@Patrick exactly right
I’m just having a look at what’s available on free TV channels in the UK. Yes, there is some racy stuff. (SBS isn’t even close, not really). Can we join the rest of the world now? (No the USA doesn’t count).
Sounds to me like a device that takes away a responsibility that should be the parent’s.
Aren’t adults supposed to make choices for their children – or is that an old fashioned thing these days?
As someone once said ‘somebody please think of the children!”
Ohhh ACMA, you freaking backdated, nancy pants organisation.
Why stop at home theatre equipment? What about my goddam telephone?????
What if someone calls me and says refused classification things to me or anyone who answers my phone? What will happen to them!? Why won’t ACMA intervene and stop this travesty?
@Kev – good point.
I wonder if in the future when all TV’s have this function, will they eliminate the legislation that controls when certain content can be shown?
Now that parents will have a way of “protecting their children from content on television which they might consider inappropriate or harmful,” I wonder if ACMA will loosen up it’s restrictions on what can be shown on TV for the rest of us. I somehow think not.
If they’re going to mandate this nonsense, then they’d might as well classify television programmes *properly*. I’m sick of seeing shows being rated more harshly or more leniently purely to cater to the timeslot or to pander to the fundamentalist nutters out there.
The real problem is that the kids bedroom etc. is rarely the place for the New equipment.
Find me a TV that doesn’t. My ancient Set Top Box from 2003 does. So does my 4 year old LCD.
This won’t change the PCC constantly complaining about programs on air even though they now have the ability to complete block the program from their childrens and own sight.