UK PM "not interested in censorship"

The prime minister, Gordon Brown, told reporters at a Downing Street press conference yesterday that the government has launched a review into the impact of media violence on children. He hopes the results will lead to new controls on the material available to children on television, the Internet, and video games.

Two actions that the prime minister said he particularly wanted to see were a better-policed watershed hour (there are restrictions on what can be shown on UK television before 9 p.m.), along with a review of the kinds of advertising featured before the watershed.

He 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..."

Brown continued, "I think it is a common if you like endeavour of our society to make sure that our children, while given every opportunity to benefit from new technology and the new media, are also protected against some of the malign influences that are trying to operate through that media."

However, he allayed fears from the industry that this would mean the banning of more video game titles, saying, "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."

Opposition leader David Cameron made his own thoughts on video games clear in a recent speech about his law and order plans. The Conservative party boss said that if elected, "A Conservative government will review the regulatory framework relating to films and video games to ensure that violence and misogyny are not directly promoted to young people."