The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has launched a pilot of a new AI tool aimed at generating localised age ratings for digital content across global platforms.

Named CLEARD, the new tool developed by BBFC Technology has been designed to “meet the demands of streaming and Video-on-Demand services to age rate at scale”. It promises to use metadata “derived from a single expert viewing of the content” to produce accurate age ratings for use via digital video distribution.

The BBFC also states that CLEARD is “fully compliant with local legal frameworks. If formal approval with a regulator or government body is needed in a country, CLEARD will only offer local ratings once approval has been granted”. No sooner had the pilot been launched than the BBFC announced a new strategic partnership with Germany’s FSK, which is in the formal process of seeking accreditation by the federal authorities for CLEARD to generate legally backed ratings in Germany.

Commenting on the launch of CLEARD, the BBFC CEO, David Austin OBE, said “I am delighted the BBFC is piloting CLEARD. Developed by BBFC Technology Ltd, CLEARD empowers global content owners, distributors, and regulators to deliver content confidently across borders, with trusted, localised age ratings. The pilot will help digital content to reach wider audiences without compromising on local standards and trust. It is our ambition that, with this AI solution, more global streaming services will adopt BBFC age ratings in the UK and, in the process of doing so, other established rating systems worldwide”.

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