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107-523: Initially, only two government departments, the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Food , had the need for market research in order to investigate the effectiveness of their advertising with the British public. The Wartime Social Survey was founded to carry out this work, but it quickly became obvious that other government departments also faced problems that could only be resolved by interviewing samples of

214-450: A 1913 film given the former A rating could very probably be rated PG today. An extreme example of this is the rating of the horror film Revenge of the Zombies , with a U certificate upon its video release in the late 1990s, whereas, when it was first examined as a film in 1951, it was given one of the first X ratings . The Bela Lugosi horror film Island of Lost Souls was refused

321-430: A belief that government propaganda would be needed to maintain morale. However it was hindered by competing visions for the ministry, a requirement for secrecy which disrupted the making of key appointments, and the reluctance of many government departments to give up their public relations divisions to central control. The shadow Ministry of Information came into being briefly between 26 September and 3 October 1938 after

428-572: A blanket term recently used by both film makers and local press to describe independent filmmakers in the Northwest of England, is currently campaigning for the introduction of a voluntary 'Unrated 18' classification in the UK. On 6 June 2011, the BBFC refused a classification for the horror film The Human Centipede II . The previous film in the series was passed uncut at 18, but due to a shift in context and focus,

535-444: A certificate when first submitted in 1932, was granted an X in the 1950s, and a 12 for home video release in 1996 – when submitted for a modern video classification in 2011, it was re-classified as a PG . The 1964 Disney live-action/animated musical Mary Poppins was initially granted a U but was later re-classified as PG in 2024 due to the use of the archaic word " hottentot " by the character Admiral Boom in one scene which

642-404: A certificate, as the BBFC has no oversight over print media. Both games had numerous certificate stickers all over their covers to emphasise to parents and retailers that they were not intended for children, as computer games carrying BBFC certificates were previously unheard of. The first video game to be refused classification by the BBFC was Carmageddon in 1997, however a modified version of

749-476: A certificate, or supplying to someone younger than the certified age) is a criminal offence. However, possession is not an offence in itself, other than in the case of "possession with intent to supply". Since the introduction of the Act, the BBFC has been the chosen authority. In theory this authority could be revoked, but in practice such a revocation has never been suggested, since most local authorities simply do not have

856-576: A council of management selected from leading figures in the manufacturing and servicing sectors of the film industry. This council appoints the President, who has statutory responsibility for the classification of videos and the Director who has executive responsibility and formulates policy. The board, which is based in Soho Square , London, is financed from the fees it charges for classifying films and videos and

963-633: A game for classification even if they are not obliged to. Under the Digital Economy Act 2010 , the primary responsibility for rating video games in the United Kingdom passed from the BBFC to the Video Standards Council using the PEGI system. A game is only submitted to the BBFC if it contains strong pornographic material or if it includes video material that is not directly accessible through

1070-525: A higher rating. An example of this was in 2010, when the Board cut the Hindi film Anjaana Anjaani by two minutes and thirty-one seconds to remove references to and sight of someone attempting suicide by asphyxiation so the distributor could get a cinema 12A certificate. In its uncut form the film was released on home video with an 18 certificate. The Hunger Games (2012) was assessed before formal classification, with

1177-407: A licence did not have to be restricted to issues of health and safety. Given that the law now allowed councils to grant or refuse licences to cinemas according to the content of the films they showed, the 1909 Act, therefore, enabled the introduction of censorship. The film industry, fearing the economic consequences of a largely unregulated censorship infrastructure, therefore formed the BBFC to take

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1284-482: A month later cut Takashi Miike 's Ichi the Killer by three and a quarter minutes to remove scenes of sexual violence. A Serbian Film (2010) suffered forty-nine individual cuts by the BBFC, which totalled four minutes and eleven seconds of cuts. The cuts were made to remove "portrayals of children in a sexualised or abusive context and images of sexual and sexualised violence which have a tendency to eroticise or endorse

1391-662: A purely advisory body, chaired initially by the Secretary of the Admiralty Sir Graham Greene, the press having agreed to self-censor accordingly in matters of defence and secret intelligence. When war was declared, other newly formed departments overlapped with it and with each other. These included the British Board of Film Censors for films, the Propaganda Bureau for overseas information and propaganda (to counter

1498-511: A rating symbol. As part of the implementation of the Digital Economy Act 2017 , the BBFC and NCC Group were planning to introduce an age-verification certificate ( AVC or AV Certificate), a voluntary, non-statutory certificate awarded to Internet age-verification providers who meet standards of privacy and data security. Plans to mandate online age-verification to deny those who do not prove they are aged over 18 access to pornographic website content were subsequently abandoned. Historically

1605-623: A responsibility for monitoring public opinion through a network of regional information offices. Responsibility for publicity in enemy territories was organised by Department EH (later part of the Special Operations Executive ). Secret planning for a Ministry of Information (MOI) had started in October 1935 under the auspices of the Committee of Imperial Defence (CID). Draft proposals were accepted on 27 July 1936 and Sir Stephen Tallents

1712-621: A violation. However, some clarity would come in 1916 when the then president of the BBFC, T. P. O'Connor , listed forty-three infractions, from the BBFC 1913–1915 annual reports, during the National Council of Public Morals: Cinema Commission of Inquiry (1916), indicating where a cut in a film may be required. These included: In 1926, the BBFC annual report outlined grounds on seven broad categories that justified censorship, including issues related to religious, political, military, social, questions of sex, crime and cruelty. Some decisions from

1819-499: Is "Material which appears to be simulated is generally passed "18", while images of real sex are confined to the "R18" category." However, for some years depictions of real sex have been allowed in 18-certificate videos intended as educational and, relatively recently, a number of works such as Patrice Chéreau 's Intimacy (2001) and Michael Winterbottom 's 9 Songs (2004), which feature apparently unsimulated sex have been passed uncut for theatrical release. Violence remains one of

1926-441: Is no theme or subject matter considered inherently unsuitable for classification at any level, although more controversial topics may drive a movie to be given a more restrictive rating. This is in keeping with current practice in most liberal democracies , but in sharp contrast to the early days of the BBFC in which such adult themes as prostitution, incest , and the relations of capital and labour were unacceptable regardless of

2033-483: Is run on a not-for-profit basis. The BBFC can also advise cuts for a less-restrictive rating. This generally occurs in borderline cases where distributors have requested a certificate and the BBFC has rated the work at a more-restrictive level; however, some cuts are compulsory, such as scenes that violate the Protection of Children Act 1978 or Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937 . The final certificate then depends on

2140-693: The Central Office of Information (COI); which was itself dissolved in December 2011 due to the reforming of the organisation of government communications. Before the Lloyd George War Cabinet was formed in 1917, there was no full centralised coordination of public information and censorship. Even under the War Cabinet, there were still many overlapping departments involved. The Admiralty, War Office and Press Committee (AWOPC) had been formed in 1912 as

2247-431: The Digital Economy Act 2017 the BBFC was appointed as the UK's regulator for pornographic websites. As regulator, the BBFC was intended to be responsible for identifying commercial pornographic websites accessible in the UK and empowered to take action against any which did not age-verify their users, including placing restrictions on their payment transactions or ordering their blocking by Internet service providers . This

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2354-575: The Nazi annexation of the Sudetenland ( German occupation of Czechoslovakia ) heightened international tensions. The 71 officials who were assembled in temporary accommodation had responsibility for censoring press reports surrounding the Munich Agreement . The week-long experiment was not regarded as a success. Instead it highlighted the extent to which questions over appointments, accommodation, links to

2461-858: The "Communications History of the Ministry of Information" began in January 2014. The project is led by Professor Simon Eliot of the School of Advanced Study at the University of London and Paul Vetch of the Department of Digital Humanities at King's College London . A project website called MOI Digital was launched on 24 June 2014. Henry Irving and Judith Townend have drawn parallels between information censorship in Britain during World War II and contemporary restrictions in reporting trials that relate to terrorism offences, such as

2568-436: The 12A category has been used for cinema releases since 2002. Material that is exempt from classification sometimes uses symbols similar to BBFC certificates, for example an "E" certificate. There is no legal obligation, nor a particular scheme, for labelling material that is exempt from classification. On the BBFC's online classification database, material that has been refused a classification uses an "N/A" symbol in place of

2675-566: The 1930s. Following protests from the German Embassy after the release of a film depicting the execution of Edith Cavell ( Dawn , 1928, dir. Herbert Wilcox ), intense political pressure was brought to bear on the BBFC by the Home Office. A system of script vetting was introduced, whereby British studios were invited to submit screenplays to the BBFC before shooting started. Imported Hollywood films were not treated as strictly as British films, as

2782-684: The 1960s, and it concentrated on censoring films that featured graphic sex and violence. However, some Board decisions caused controversy in the 1970s when it banned a series of films that were released uncut and were popular in other countries (such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Last House on the Left ), or released other controversial films, such as Straw Dogs and A Clockwork Orange . However, under recent presidents Andreas Whittam Smith and Sir Quentin Thomas , guidelines were relaxed again, allowing

2889-517: The 1969 film Love Camp 7 , rejected in 2002, and Women in Cellblock 9 , released in 1977 and rejected in 2004. Both films contain substantial scenes of sexual violence and have remained completely banned following a re-submission since 2000. In general, attitudes to what material is suitable for viewing by younger audiences have changed over the years, and this is reflected by the reclassification of older films being re-released on video. For example,

2996-457: The Act had to be classified, making it illegal to supply any recording that had not been certified. Certificates could restrict release to any age of 18 or under, or only to licensed sex-shops. The government currently designate the BBFC as the authority for certifying video releases. As the law requires the certificate to be displayed on the packaging and media labels of the video recording, in practice only UK releases can be legally sold or hired in

3103-544: The BBFC believed that audiences would recognise American cinema as representing a foreign culture and therefore would not apply any political messages therein to their own lives. So while the Warners gangster films and other 1930s Hollywood films that dealt explicitly with crime and the effects of the Great Depression were released in the UK largely uncut, these subjects were strictly off-limits for British film-makers. During

3210-481: The BBFC estimated that five million commercial pornographic websites existed on the Internet. In March 2019 the BBFC published its guidance, which stated that social media would not fall under the BBFC's jurisdiction, and nor would websites where pornography made up a third or less of the website's material. The BBFC proposed that a voluntary certification scheme should cover age verification providers. Margot James ,

3317-518: The BBFC then asked the High Court for a judicial review of the VAC decision. The High Court ruled that the VAC had made errors in law and instructed it to reconsider its decision, the VAC subsequently ruled that the modified version of the game should receive an 18 certificate, which the BBFC accepted. On 16 June 2009, the UK's Department for Culture, Media and Sport ruled in favour of the PEGI system to be

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3424-402: The BBFC, which began operating on 1 January 1913. The Cinematograph Act 1909 required cinemas to have licences from local authorities. The Act was introduced for reasons of public safety after nitrate film fires in unsuitable venues (fairgrounds and shops that had been hastily converted into cinemas) but the following year a court ruling determined that the criteria for granting or refusing

3531-605: The BBFC. It has attracted criticism from conservative press, in particular the Daily Mail , on the grounds that the release of sexually explicit and violent films was corrupting the nation. The newspaper's most famous clash with the BBFC came in 1997 when the board released the David Cronenberg film Crash without cuts. The following day (19 March 1997) the Daily Mail led with the banner headline "Censor's Yes To Depraved Sex Film". Westminster City Council imposed its own ban on

3638-499: The Board has faced strong criticism for their perceived overzealous attitude towards censoring films. Prior to the liberalising decade of the 1960s, films were routinely and extensively censored as a means of social control. For example, Rebel Without a Cause (1955) was cut to reduce the "possibility of teenage rebellion". Ingmar Bergman 's 1955 comedy Smiles of a Summer Night was cut to remove "overtly sexual or provocative" language. The BBFC's attitude became more liberal during

3745-572: The British Board of Film Censors, under the aegis of the Incorporated Association of Kinematograph Manufacturers, by film trade associations who preferred to manage their own censorship than to have national or local government do it for them. The immediate impetus for the board's formation stemmed from the furore surrounding the release in the UK in October 1912 of the film From the Manger to

3852-479: The British public. Popular newspapers seized on reports about MOI-sponsored opinion polling and denounced the department's staff as "Cooper's Snoopers". Home Intelligence reports recorded complaints from those who felt that the British state was "becoming dangerously akin to the one we are fighting". The cost of such activities was also queried in Parliament. Cooper was forced to confront further questions regarding

3959-568: The Cross , about the life of Jesus . The film, shown at the Queen's Hall , London, gained considerable publicity from a great outcry in the Daily Mail , which demanded: "Is nothing sacred to the film maker?", and waxed indignant about the profits for its American film producers. Although the clergy were invited to see it and found little to be affronted by, the controversy resulted in the voluntary creation of

4066-399: The Incorporated Association of Kinematograph Manufacturers, aligned its name with the board the following year (followed by another minor alteration in 2003 to British Board of Film Classification ). At that time it was given responsibility for classifying videos for hire or purchase to view in the home as well as films shown in cinemas. Home video and cinema versions of a film usually receive

4173-560: The MOI and service departments led to accusations that the MOI was delaying access to the news, and a newspaper campaign against censorship was started. Other commentators pointed to the ministry's large staff and satirised it as ineffective and out of touch. The MOI's first publicity campaign also misfired with a poster bearing the message "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution, Will Bring Us Victory" criticised for appearing class-bound. These factors led to political scrutiny and resulted in

4280-501: The MOI assumed by the Home Office ). Planning efforts would increase again after Nazi troops moved into Prague on 15 March 1939 (German occupation of Czechoslovakia). The British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain publicly announced his government's intentions for the MOI in a parliamentary speech on 15 June 1939. Home Office officials were privately given until 31 December 1939 to complete their plans. The Ministry of Information (MOI)

4387-467: The MOI should be dissolved at the end of the war with Germany and that its activities made it inappropriate to peacetime conditions. The MOI was dissolved in March 1946, with its residual functions passing to the Central Office of Information (COI), a central organisation providing common and specialist information services. Campaigns carried out included themes such as the following: For home publicity,

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4494-495: The MOI, he scripted at least five films in 1942 with titles such as This Is Colour (about dye); New Towns for Old ; These Are the Men ; Our Country (a sentimental tour of Britain), and The Art of Conversation . Colour key (for political parties):     Conservative     National Independent     Labour A major four-year Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded research project on

4601-622: The Minister of Information, was a United Kingdom government department created briefly at the end of the First World War and again during the Second World War . Located in Senate House at the University of London during the 1940s, it was the central government department responsible for publicity and propaganda . The MOI was dissolved in March 1946, with its residual functions passing to

4708-527: The Night (UK, 1956, dir. J. Lee Thompson ), which opposed capital punishment; Room at the Top (UK, 1959, dir. Jack Clayton ), which dealt with class divisions; Victim (UK, 1961, dir. Basil Dearden ), which implicitly argued for the legalisation of homosexuality, all involved the BBFC in controversy. In autumn 1972, Lord Longford and Raymond Blackburn decided to pursue a matter of pornography classification for

4815-626: The R18 rating. Films with this rating are only legally available from licensed sex shops, of which there are about three hundred in the UK. They may also be seen in specially licensed cinemas. There are also examples of films with stronger sexual content, some including real images of sexual intercourse , being approved at "18" level. Recent examples include the passing of Irreversible , 9 Songs , Antichrist , and numerous other films uncut for cinema and video viewing. Despite this trend towards liberalisation, anti-censorship campaigners are still critical of

4922-558: The Second World War Ministry of Information. Some forms of wartime censorship continued until 1920, by when the AWOPC became again the main interface for political/press publication of defence and secret intelligence matters. Colour key (for political parties):     Conservative     Liberal The Ministry of Information (MOI) was formed on 4 September 1939, the day after Britain's declaration of war, and

5029-564: The Second World War, the BBFC's political censorship function effectively passed to the Films Division of the Ministry of Information , and the BBFC never regained this to the same extent as before the war. The increasing climate of post-war liberalism ensured that from the 1950s onwards, controversies involving the BBFC centred more on depictions of sex and violence than on political expression. There were some notable exceptions: Yield to

5136-464: The Survey carried out thirty-six surveys of varying length. Among the surveys carried out was a 1944 study where housewives were asked to check the size of food portions against a chart, while another conducted in 1943, found that 32% of Britons went to the cinema frequently (defined as once a week or more) and another 38% attended occasionally (defined as once a fortnight or less)". The first Director of

5243-618: The UK government announced that the part of the Act dealing with the regulation of pornographic websites would not be implemented. The BBFC currently issues the following certificates. The current category symbols were introduced in cinemas in October 2019 and on home media since April 2020, replacing the previous ones that had been in place since 2002. Until 2009, there was also a Uc ("Universal Children") certificate, for videos that were particularly suitable for young children. The 12 category would apply to cinema releases from August 1989 to 2002, and has applied to home media since 1994, while

5350-417: The UK government's digital minister , said that the government had asked HM Treasury to provide indemnity of up to £10 million to the BBFC to protect it against legal challenges, as the uncertainty surrounding the possibility of such challenges would leave the BBFC unable to get commercial insurance. There were numerous delays to the date at which the BBFC would begin its regulatory role, until in 2019

5457-529: The UK, even if a foreign release had identical content. Local authorities do not have such power for video recordings. Under the Video Recording Act 1984 , all non-exempt recordings must be classified by an authority chosen by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport . This classification is legally binding, in that supply of material contrary to its certificate (recordings that have been refused

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5564-607: The US has done this on occasion, often as the result of public backlash, as seen on the MTV shows Beavis and Butt-head and Jackass ). In the UK, numerous minor cuts have been made, primarily to films whose distributors want a PG or 12A certificate, to scenes of characters performing acts that would be considered dangerous, criminal, or harmful if done in real life. For example, in 2006, issues involving suicide by hanging became problematic; The Ren & Stimpy Show Series 1 DVD set (classified PG)

5671-418: The United Kingdom with BBFC ratings. The partnership came at the time when digital media is on the rise worldwide and when parents are concerned about children seeing inappropriate content on video on demand or online gaming platforms. The implementation of BBFC ratings into Netflix UK content took effect at the end of October 2019. The board is a self-funded quango . Its business affairs are controlled by

5778-510: The United Kingdom. It has a statutory requirement to classify all video works released on VHS , DVD , Blu-ray (including 3D and 4K UHD formats), and, to a lesser extent, some video games under the Video Recordings Act 1984 . The BBFC was also the designated regulator for the UK age-verification scheme , which was abandoned before being implemented. The BBFC was established in 1912 as

5885-491: The United States. Shane Meadows ' film This Is England was also passed uncut only at 18 due to its repeated use of racist terms, and the climactic scene where Combo becomes irate and pummels his friend Milky while insulting him. On the other hand, some films feature strong language but nevertheless do not carry particularly restrictive certificates. The King's Speech was passed for a 12A rating despite its repeated use of

5992-606: The Wartime Social Survey and of Home Intelligence was Stephen Taylor . He was succeeded by Louis Moss (1915-2000), who was Director from 1941 to 1970. Among its staff were Marie Jahoda and Ethel John Lindgren . The orientalist Margaret Smith worked for the Survey translating and writing texts for broadcasting in the Middle East and teaching Arabic to military personnel. Ministry of Information (United Kingdom) The Ministry of Information ( MOI ), headed by

6099-461: The appointment of Duff Cooper . Cooper was closely allied to Churchill and had openly criticised the previous government's approach. Nazi advances in Western Europe encouraged the Ministry of Information (MOI) to increasingly focus on domestic propaganda after May 1940. A Home Publicity Emergency Committee was set up to issue public instructions about air raids, parachute raids and what to do in

6206-430: The behaviour" as the Board's website states. Criminal and dangerous acts that can be easily imitated, as well as scenes condoning, glamorising, or showing clear instruction of how to abuse drugs have also been the subject of UK editing. The issue of depicting dangerous acts that can easily be imitated in real life is one that does not seem to figure especially highly in the censorship systems of most other countries (though

6313-507: The case of R v Incedal and Rarmoul-Bouhadjar (2014). British Board of Film Censors The British Board of Film Classification ( BBFC ) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the British film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national classification and censorship of films exhibited at cinemas and video works (such as television programmes , trailers , adverts , public information /campaigning films, menus, bonus content, etc.) released on physical media within

6420-495: The case of films shown in cinemas, local authorities have the final legal authorisation over who can view a particular film. The majority of the time, local authorities accept the board's recommendation for a certificate for a film. There have been some notable exceptions – particularly in the 1970s when the board allowed films such as Last Tango in Paris (1972) and The Exorcist (1973) to be released with an X certificate (essentially

6527-458: The changing events of war. Through the Home intelligence Division, the MOI collected reactions to general wartime morale and, in some cases, specifically to publicity produced. Dylan Thomas , frustrated at being declared unfit to join the armed forces, contacted Sir Kenneth Clark , director of the films division of the Ministry of Information, and offered his services. Although not directly employed by

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6634-426: The distributor's decision on whether or not to make the suggested cuts. Some works are even rejected if the distributor refuses the cut. The examiners and the directors of the BBFC are hired on a permanent basis. Examiners are required to watch five hours and twenty minutes of media, to a maximum of thirty-five hours a week. Turnover is low and vacancies, when available, appear on its London job vacancies website. In

6741-517: The early years are now subjected to derision. In 1928, the board's examiners report famously claimed that Germaine Dulac 's surrealist film The Seashell and the Clergyman was "almost meaningless", but: "If there is a meaning, it is doubtless objectionable." Informal links, to varying degrees of closeness, have been maintained between the BBFC and the Government throughout the Board's existence. In

6848-449: The event of an invasion. Concurrent campaigns extolled the public to "Avoid Rumour" and join a "Silent Column" so that they would avoid passing information to spies. However, as the situation stabilised, these campaigns were increasingly criticised for treating the public with contempt. The MOI was subject to further criticism in July 1940 when it was accused of using "Gestapo" tactics to spy on

6955-786: The existing German equivalent), the National War Aims Committee for internal information and propaganda, the Neutral Press Committee dealing with neutral countries, and the Press Bureau (absorbing but not totally replacing many of the AWOPC functions and practices, albeit with much wider focus). The Propaganda Bureau, situated in Wellington House and chaired by Charles Masterman, opened in 1914 and recruited 25 well-known authors for its work, including John Buchan, but in 1917 it

7062-569: The film Language of Love at the Court of Appeal before Lord Denning , MR ; they failed to obtain a writ of mandamus against the Metropolitan Police Commissioner , who had refused to intrude upon the BBFC's remit. In 1984, the board changed its name to The British Board of Film Classification to "reflect the fact that classification plays a far larger part in the board's work than censorship". The board's holding company,

7169-410: The film after the decision, although anyone wanting to watch the film in a cinema only had to walk along to the non-Westminster half of Shaftesbury Avenue, which is in the neighbouring borough of Camden . The BBFC's current guidelines identify a number of specific areas considered when awarding certificates or requiring cuts: The BBFC also continues to demand cuts of any material it believes breaches

7276-595: The film trade or outside it. The board's offices were originally at 133–135 Oxford Street , London; the building is located at the junction of Wardour Street , a centre of the British film industry for many years. Unlike the American Production Code Administration , which had a written list of violations in their Motion Picture Production Code , the BBFC did not have a written code and were vague in their translation to producers on what constituted

7383-422: The film's studio wishing to obtain a 12A for financial and marketing reasons. To get this, seven seconds of footage was cut and blood splashes were digitally removed to reduce emphasis on blood and injury, as an alternative to the uncut film being rated 15. There has been considerable relaxation since 1999. The relaxation of guidelines has also made hardcore pornography widely available to adult audiences through

7490-426: The film. However, the BBFC were already in the process of replacing the 12 rating with a new 12A, which allowed under-12s to see the film if accompanied by an adult, so shortly afterwards, the BBFC reclassified Spider-Man as 12A. The first 12A certificate awarded was for The Bourne Identity . The Video Recordings Act requires that video releases not exempt (music, documentary, non-fiction, video games, etc.) under

7597-462: The first minister was sworn into Office on 5 September 1939. The ministry's function was "To promote the national case to the public at home and abroad in time of war" by issuing "National Propaganda" and controlling news and information. It was initially responsible for censorship, issuing official news, home publicity and overseas publicity in Allied and neutral countries. These functions were matched by

7704-423: The game itself (e.g. a documentary). The BBFC also provide a classification service for mobile phone operators . BBFC guidelines for film and video are used to calibrate the filters used by the operators to restrict access to internet content. The default assumption is that mobile phone users are under 18 years of age. The BBFC guidelines are based on public consultations conducted every four to five years. Under

7811-530: The game received a 15 certificate. The first computer game to receive an 18 certificate, on 11 December 1987, was another illustrated text adventure called Jack the Ripper , also by CRL, which dealt with the infamous real life murders in Victorian London. The horror in both games came through largely in their detailed prose. Had the game publishers reprinted the games' text in book form, it would not have carried

7918-572: The game was later awarded an 18 certificate. In June 2007, Manhunt 2 was refused classification for both its PlayStation 2 and Wii versions, meaning that the game was illegal to sell or supply in the United Kingdom. A modified version was made that was accepted by the ESRB but was still refused classification from the BBFC. The second decision was later overturned by the Video Appeals Committee (an independent body set up by legislation);

8025-594: The general public, in order to provide statistical results. The surveys were carried out by fifty-five trained female fieldworkers, disparagingly called "Cooper's Snoopers" (after founder Duff Cooper ) by the press, divided into two teams who were able to travel around Britain in order to carry out their surveys. In addition, there were regional investigators who lived in the areas in which they worked. These were so distributed around Britain that they could cover large centres of population as well as smaller towns and rural communities. The benefits of these arrangements were that

8132-567: The media and the relationship with other government departments had been left unresolved. The confusion had been made worse by tensions between the shadow MOI and the Foreign Office News Department. This tension spilled over into the Committee for Imperial Defence which considered proposals to abandon plans for the Ministry of Information. Tallents left his post as Director General Designate on 2 January 1939 (with responsibility for

8239-432: The ministry dealt with the planning of general government or interdepartmental information, and provided common services for public relations activities of other government departments. The Home Publicity division undertook three main types of campaigns: those requested by other government departments, specific regional campaigns, and those it initiated itself. Before undertaking a campaign, the MOI would ensure that propaganda

8346-552: The mobile teams of fieldworkers could carry out surveys in any part of the country as required, of that they could all be sent to one area. Meanwhile, the regional investigators were able to collect specialised information about the areas in which they lived and worked and reported to the officials of Government departments, who could often provide valuable information about the locality being surveyed. The Wartime Social Survey had 35 technical, administrative and clerical staff and had an annual budget of about £40,000. Between 1943 and 1944

8453-451: The most problematic areas for censorship in the UK, especially when it is in conjunction with sex or likely to sway more impressionable viewers into thinking the violence depicted is "glamorous" or "fun" and "risk-free." However, the Board takes into account issues of context and whether it considers scenes of sexual violence to "eroticise" or "endorse" sexual assault. In 2002, the board passed Gaspar Noé 's Irréversible uncut, but less than

8560-484: The news and was dogged by accusations that he wanted to enforce a system of compulsory censorship. His failed attempt to increase the MOI's control over public relations divisions in other departments also drew him into conflict with Churchill. After two months of internal wrangling, it was reported that Cooper was to be replaced as Minister by Brendan Bracken on 17 July 1941. The Ministry of Information (MOI) settled down during Bracken's tenure. Supported by Churchill and

8667-497: The period before the Second World War , an extensive but unofficial system of political censorship was implemented by the BBFC for the Home Office . As the cinema became a socially powerful mass-medium, governments feared the effect of its use by others for propaganda and as happened in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany discouraged any expression of controversial political views in British films. This trend reached its climax during

8774-476: The press and he maintained that the MOI should not impinge upon the right to free speech. Bracken was keen to promote a more limited role in the field of domestic propaganda. He insisted that the MOI should stop "lecturing" the public and publicly questioned its ability to "stimulate British Morale". The MOI was instead encouraged to provide background information to particular events whilst providing technical support to other departments. Bracken also insisted that

8881-481: The press, Bracken remained in office until after Victory in Europe Day . One of Bracken's main achievements was to promote a closer working relationship with other government departments. Plans to increase control over public relations divisions in other departments were duly dropped and closer co-operation sought in their place. Bracken's experience as a newspaper proprietor encouraged a similar approach with regard to

8988-584: The press, as an excessive attempt by Lloyd George to control the press, as was political use of the Defence of the Realm Act 1914 . Wrangling between different interests continued for the remainder of the war and even afterwards, the Press Bureau becoming the main focus of discontent and negotiation between owners/editors and ministers. The Press Bureau did eventually in 1918 formulate guidelines for handling information in wartime, which were later used in 1938 in creating

9095-399: The process 'in house' and establish its own system of self-regulation. By paying a fee of £2 for every reel of film viewed, and by appointing a panel of viewers under a censor, none of whom had any film trade interests, the growing cinema industry neatly created a censorship body which was both self-supporting and strictly impartial, and therefore was not swayed by any sectional interests inside

9202-793: The provisions of the Obscene Publications Act or any other legislation (most notably the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937 [which forbids the depiction of animals being abused or in distress] and the Protection of Children Act 1978 [which, as amended, forbids the depiction of minors engaged in sex or in sexually suggestive poses or situations]). In 2009, 2% of cinema films had material cut, and 3.6% of videos. Most cuts actually occur in videos rated for 18 or R18, rather than videos intended for viewing by under-18s. In 2009, 16.8% of 18 videos, and 27.3% of R18 videos, had material cut. There

9309-535: The public, and therefore the work of the Survey was extended to carry out sampling surveys for the Board of Trade , the Ministry of Health , the Ministry of Home Security , the Ministry of Works , the Ministry of Supply , the Ministry of War Transport , the Ministry of Fuel and Power , and the War Office . The Survey's method was to use questionnaires and to interview samples of the general public, or specific sections of

9416-419: The rating. "'Adult" or "strong" language can earn a film a more restrictive certificate, though BBFC policy states that there are no constraints on language use in films awarded an 18 certificate. It is difficult to compare the BBFC's policies in this area with those in other countries as there are different taboos regarding profanity in other languages and indeed in other English-speaking countries. For example,

9523-504: The reintegration of the Press and Censorship Division in the belief that the decision to separate this function had been "obviously and monstrously ridiculous and wrong". These changes were announced by Neville Chamberlain on 24 April 1940 but were not fully operational until June 1940. Chamberlain's resignation and replacement by Winston Churchill on 10 May 1940 resulted in Reith being sacked and

9630-452: The release, usually uncut, of these previously banned films on video and in cinemas. Some films from the 1970s remain unreleased. However, many of these titles remain banned primarily because their distributors have not chosen to re-submit the films to the BBFC, almost certainly for commercial reasons; if re-submitted, they would be likely to receive a more sympathetic hearing than 30 to 40 years ago. Two notable examples from this period include

9737-518: The removal of the Press Relations Group on 9 October 1939 (which became an autonomous Press and Censorship Bureau) and an announcement on 25 October 1939 that the MOI's staff was to be cut by a third. Lord Macmillan was replaced as minister by Sir John Reith on 5 January 1940. Reith sought to improve the MOI's governance, expanded its network of regional information offices and introduced a Home Intelligence division. He also sought to secure

9844-427: The resources needed to do such things as remove cuts, pass films that the BBFC rejected and vice versa, put in place new cuts, etc., regularly. The BBFC has also rated some video games. Normally these are exempt from classification, unless they depict human sexual activity, human genital organs or gross acts of violence, in which case the publishers should submit the game for classification. Publishers may opt to submit

9951-418: The same as today's "18") – but many local authorities chose to ban the films regardless. Thirty-nine local authorities in the UK either imposed an outright ban, or imposed an X certificate, on Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), which the BBFC had rated as AA (Suitable for ages 14+). Conversely, in 2002, a few local authorities regraded Spider-Man from 12 to PG, allowing children younger than 12 to see

10058-479: The same certificate, although occasionally a film may receive a more restrictive certificate for the home video market (sometimes due to the bonus features), as it is easier for children to watch a home video than to be admitted into a cinema. In December 1986, the first computer game to be certified by the BBFC was an illustrated text adventure called Dracula , based on the Bram Stoker novel, published by CRL ;

10165-431: The services to work for the ministry in 1942, a year in which £4 million was spent on publicity, approximately a third more than in 1941. £120,000 of this was spent on posters, art and exhibitions. Of the many officially employed war artists , several, including Eric Kennington , Paul Nash and William Rothenstein , were war artists during both World Wars. Many extra designs were prepared to cope with short lead-times and

10272-427: The sole classification system for videogames and software in the UK. This decision would also, unlike beforehand, allow PEGI ratings to be legally enforced much like the BBFC ratings. Initially expected to take effect from 1 April 2011, the legislation was put into effect on 30 July 2012. Netflix and the BBFC announced an age classification partnership on 13 March 2019 where the former will classify their content in

10379-573: The use of "strong" language has little effect on a film's classification in France. The BBFC's policy proved particularly controversial in the case of Ken Loach 's Sweet Sixteen in 2002, which was passed uncut only at 18 certificate, even though its main characters were teenagers who frequently used profanities that the director argued were typical of the social group his film depicted. The film received similar certificates in Ireland (also an 18 certificate) and

10486-481: The word " fuck " in two scenes, which would normally raise the rating to a 15 certificate; the BBFC justified its decision, saying that the profanity was "in a speech therapy context". As of November 2021, the word " nigger " should not be classified lower than 12 unless in an educational or historical context. There are minimal restrictions of the depiction of non-sexual nudity, which is allowed in even U and PG certificate films (for example, The Simpsons Movie —which

10593-479: Was appointed as Director General Designate. Tallents drew together a small group of planners from existing government departments, public bodies and specialist outside organisations. The MOI's planners sought to combine experience gained during the First World War with new communications technology. Their work reflected an increasing concern that a future war would exert huge strain on the civilian population and

10700-651: Was deemed by the board as "discriminatory language". The BBFC are also known to cut the words " spaz " and " retard " from U certified films and videos on the grounds of discriminating against disabled people . One example of this was when Marmaduke was passed U after the word "spaz" was removed. The uncut version would have been rated 12. They also award higher ratings to films that contain potentially imitable and dangerous behaviour; this includes all five Jackass films being passed 18, and Fred: The Movie being passed 12. They are also serious about suicide themes, references, or attempts, and will either cut them or award

10807-408: Was edited to remove the song "The Lord Loves a Hangin ' " because the song implied that hanging is "comedic, fun, and risk-free". Paranoia Agent Volume 3 DVD set (classified 18) was also cut to remove the depiction of a child nearly hanging herself for the same reason. The requirement to have films classified and censored can cost film producers up to thousands of pounds. The North West New Wave,

10914-490: Was formed on 4 September 1939, the day after Britain's declaration of war, and Lord Macmillan was sworn in as its first minister on 5 September 1939. The MOI's headquarters were housed within the University of London 's Senate House and would remain there for the rest of the war. The MOI was initially organised in four groups. A "Press Relations" group was responsible for both the issue of news and censorship. A "Publicity Users" group (split into "foreign" and "home" sections)

11021-410: Was given a PG-13 rating in the US – was given a PG certificate in the UK, leaving the sequence where Bart skateboards naked through town and his genitals are shown through an open space in a hedge unedited), but scenes of (simulated) sexual activity are limited to more restricted certificates. With regard to material that is intended primarily as pornographic the Board's policy, as stated on its website

11128-544: Was not being used as a substitute for other activities, including legislation. The General Production Division (GPD), one of the few divisions to remain in place throughout the war, undertook technical work under Edwin Embleton . The GPD often produced work in as little as a week or a fortnight, when normal commercial practice was three months. Artists were not in a reserved occupation and were liable for call up for military service along with everyone else. Many were recalled from

11235-434: Was re-formed into the Department of Information under Buchan, with Masterman retaining responsibility for books, pamphlets, photographs and war paintings. Later that year that department was renamed as a ministry and placed initially under the then Minister without Portfolio, Sir Edward Carson, and subsequently in early 1918 under a senior press figure, Lord Beaverbrook . This was widely perceived and criticised, in politics and

11342-481: Was responsible for propaganda policy. A "Publicity Producers" group (split according to media) was responsible for design and production. These were overseen by a "Co-ordination and Intelligence" group responsible for administration. This structure had only been finalised in May–June 1940 and senior officials were often unsure about their responsibilities. The press reacted negatively to the MOI. Initial confusion between

11449-541: Was to be the case regardless of whether the websites were UK-based or foreign-based. The BBFC had been informally named as the likely regulator in 2016, and in November of that year it was invited to take on the role and agreed to do so. The formal appointment of the BBFC took place in February 2018. Before the BBFC was due to begin its role, it conducted a public consultation on its draft guidance beginning in March 2018. In 2018

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