Netflix to abide by the Film and Publication Board ratings rules

Netflix and the Film and Publication Board (FPB) agreed on a deal whereby Netflix would comply with the FPB’s classification system. The FPB see the decision as a victory for the public.

It will give South African Netflix users peace of mind that the classifications of the TV series and movies they watch are consistent with the classification methods on television and in movie theatres.

‘Prioritisation of safe content consumption’

According to the Film and Publication Board Acting Chief Operations Officer, Abongile Mashele:

“The signing of this contract is the culmination of a series of discussions on the prioritisation of safe content consumption for our citizens, where materials distributed in the country are accompanied by ratings that prepare the consumer for the type of content they are about to view”.

One of the major stumbling blocks with streaming services is the sheer volume of content that they have in their catalogue and release weekly.

The challenges of regulating streaming services

The FPB is not really geared to be able to work through the thousands of titles that make up the Netflix catalogue and which continues to grow.

The FPB has therefore allowed a self-classification system for streaming services. This is geared toward ensuring that the same standards can be maintained without affecting the streaming services release schedules.

“As a content regulator with its finger on the pulse of the industry, this trend has spurred the FPB on to innovate the way in which we classify content,” Mashele added.

Consistent ratings across the board

The FPB would train Netflix staff on how to self-classify material according to FPB standards. In addition to this, the FPB would conduct quality assurance to ensure that Netflix was correctly self-classifying material.

“The public can rest assured that the films they view on Netflix will be aligned to South African rating standards”, the FPB said in the statement.

The move marks a change of direction from Netflix. The company had previously held that government regulatory bodies should not be able to regulate the content of the internet.

The agreement will mean that the same regulations around their content will govern the major streaming services in South Africa.

This will mean that the streaming service will finally be treated in the same way as its competition and users will have consistent ratings to guide their viewing choices across platforms.