The Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the British parliament announced today a new inquiry into the potential risks from harmful material on the Internet and in video games.
The new inquiry will examine the following:
1- The benefits and opportunities offered to consumers, including children and young people, and the economy by technologies such as the Internet, video games and mobile phones.
2- The potential risks to consumers, including children and young people, from exposure to harmful content on the Internet or in video games. The Committee is particularly interested in the potential risks posed by:
- "Cyber bullying";
- user generated content, including content that glorifies guns and gang violence;
- the availability of personal information on social networking sites;
- content that incites racial hatred, extremism or terrorism; and
- content that exhibits extreme pornography or violence.
3- The tools available to consumers and industry to protect people from potentially harmful content on the Internet and in video games.
4- The effectiveness of the existing regulatory regime in helping to manage the potential risks from harmful content on the Internet and in video games.
The British Culture, Media and Sport Committee has already commenced another inquiry reviewing the impact of media violence on children. The new inquiry, however, will be broader in scope as it will examine the impact of content on consumers in general, rather than focusing solely on the impact on children and young people.
It is expected that oral evidence sessions will be held in February and March 2008.