What We Do
Established in 1912, The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is the independent, not-for-profit film and video regulator for the UK.
We are here to help you choose age-appropriate films, videos and websites, wherever and however you watch or use them. We do this primarily through our widely recognised and trusted age ratings and content advice.
As the availability of film, video and online content continues to increase, and the way we consume content evolves, our work is becoming more important than ever.
Our guiding principles are:
to protect children and vulnerable adults from potentially harmful content
to empower consumers, particularly parents and those with responsibility for children, to make informed viewing decisions
to enable content to reach the widest possible audience appropriate for the theme and treatment
to support the right of adults to choose their own entertainment as long as it remains within the law and is not potentially harmful
Every BBFC age-rating and piece of content advice is based on our Classification Guidelines, which we refresh every four to five years through extensive public consultation. Our most recent research took place in 2023, where we spoke to 12,000 people from across the UK.
This process gives us an unmatched insight into what UK audiences find acceptable for different age groups. The result is a transparent and trusted classification system that provides everyone in the UK with the best information to help them choose what to view and to protect children and vulnerable adults from potentially harmful content.
We classify:
films, trailers, advertisements and other content for theatrical (cinema) release on behalf of local authorities who licence cinemas under the UK’s licensing legislation.
video works distributed on physical media under the Video Recordings Act 1984 (VRA)
video content distributed on Video on Demand and streaming services (VoD) under a voluntary, self-regulatory service
commercial and internet content distributed via the UK’s Mobile Networks under a voluntary, self-regulatory service
