Content Rating

There are several content ratings systems on the Web which are used to classify content. There are also a myriad of consumer-based software packages that allow independent users to filter the Web using these ratings systems.

The concept of a ratings system began with the Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS), a technical specification created by W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). PICS is a computer language/protocol that enables ratings systems to be read by search engines, web masters, and most importantly, web browsers. In essence, PICS is the HTML of ratings systems. The idea behind PICS was to allow parents and teachers to screen materials they felt were inappropriate for children. Rather than censoring, PICS was created to enable users to control what they receive, using META data to label web pages with ratings classifications.

Developers of PICS and the W3C built it to be an open standard, so that virtually anyone can create their own ratings system. However, anyone who develops their own must define their own categories, describe the ratings within those categories, and then publicize it to their users and web publishers.

There are two approaches to the PICS standard's rating of sites: self-rating and third party ratings. Self-rating means if you're a self publisher, you must assess your own content and put a PICS rating directly onto your web pages. Third party ratings are self-appointed organizations that evaluate other websites and publish ratings for them.

To date, the most prevalent PICS ratings services are RSACi: Sponsored by the Recreational Software Advisory Council, IRCA: the Internet Content Rating Association, and SafeSurf, which all rely on self-rating of websites by their publishers. If you're using Internet Explorer, the RSACi's ratings system is already built in, but if you want to use another system, you have to download the necessary files and install them on your PC.

You can configure your browsers or PICS software to use a specific ratings system (e.g. ICRA, SafeSurf), and then select a preferred level of information for that category. Your browser software then uses your choices to filter sites. You can also create a password so that your children are unable to change ratings or disable the system.

The content ratings system is still in its infancy and is far from perfect. However, it's an important step in self-regulation of the Internet, and for many, is a much better option than government-imposed regulation.