Safer Internet Day

Here you can read more about how BBFC tools and partnerships are being used to help create a better, safer, internet for young people.

Many parents have concerns or questions about whether films their children can watch on the internet have age ratings. Here is our guide for parents to finding films with BBFC age ratings online. You can also read our tips for parents about accessing films safely and legally online, and protecting younger viewers.

What young people tell us

At the last review of the BBFC Classification Guidelines, young people told us what they think about age ratings & watching films online:

  • Films are now increasingly being watched online, particularly among teenage audiences, 92% of whom say the main way in which they watch films at home is online.

  • 95% of teenagers want consistent age ratings that they recognise from the cinema and DVD to apply to content accessed through streaming services.

  • 62% of 13-14yr olds say that an age rating has affected their film choice in the past few months.

  • 98% of teens recognise the PG symbol.

(BBFC Classification Guidelines Research 2019)

What parents say

Interestingly, there has been a marked increase in the level of claimed classification checking by parents of children aged 12-14yrs – up from 90% ever checking in 2013 to 97% in 2018.

(BBFC Classification Guidelines Research 2019)

Finding age ratings for Video-on-Demand films

We work with major Video-on-Demand (VoD) platforms to provide age ratings for films. You can find a list of these platforms on our website.

The BBFC app

The BBFC app is a free app available on both Google and iTunes. It lists BBFC age ratings for films at the cinema and on DVD/Blu-ray. All films on the app include BBFC ratings info.

What are ratings info?

Ratings info explains why a film got the rating it did. Short ratings info appears on the black card before a film begins at the cinema and on most cinema posters and DVD/Blu-ray packaging.

Long ratings info can be found for films on the BBFC app and on the BBFC website. Long ratings info gives you more detail about why a film received the classification it did. It will help you find out if a film is suitable for you. 

What else is on the BBFC website?

The BBFC website lets you search for the age rating of every film, video and VoD film rated by the BBFC. 

The BBFC Guidelines are on the website with a clear explanation about what is acceptable at each age rating. 

You can also find education resources including case studies about high profile classification decisions, and episodes of the BBFC podcast

Using the internet on mobile phones

As well as classifying films and videos, we also work with the UK's mobile phone networks. They use BBFC Guidelines to ensure that content we would rate 18 is not available on mobile networks if you're under 18.

What about music videos on the internet?

We're working with the three major UK record labels, and Vevo and YouTube, to see how rating music videos can improve child protection online.

Working together

You can read more about BBFC partners on our links page.