Internet Rating System to Be Introduced Next Month

The internet websites containing offensive contents for youth should indicate the ratings such as `Restricted` or `Under-19 Viewer Prohibited` from November.

The Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) announced yesterday to introduce the internet website rating system based on `the information network promotion and information protection law` from Nov. 1st.

The newly introduced rating system enforces the audio service providers such as `700 phone service` to notify before providing the service that the service contains the offensive contents for youth and it is restricted to under-19 youth. And the text and visual information service should be offered with the pre-warning about the offensive contents, and the logo of `(19)` on the screen.

And all internet service containing the offensive contents for youth cannot be provided without the standard (Platform for Internet Content Selection, PICS) electronic signal which can be detected by the offensive content protection software installed in the user`s personal computer. The PC users are able to control the youth`s access on the offensive contents by installing `youth.rat` file from www.safenet.ne.kr run by `the Information and Communication Ethic Committee`.

The Information and Communication Ethic Committee (ICEC) said that the internet content selection software to be supplied in December would be also able to block the offensive contents for youth.

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