Mobile broadband provider implements new film-style rating system to keep kids safe online

A new, first-of-its-kind service allows parents better control over what their offspring is up to on the web - via film certificate style ratings.

Mobile broadband provider Tibboh has launched the new service in consultation with the British Board of Film Classification  (BBFC), which has categorised around three billion websites to the same standards it creates its film classifications, allowing parents the peace of mind of knowing that their little darlings aren't into anything they shouldn't be.

The system works by issuing each user with a login, which is linked to a profile recording their age - meaning that children cannot gain access to PG sites, and under 12's can be kept away from 15-rated material. Facebook and Twitter, for example, are both rated 12 - something which is in keeping with the two site's own guidelines on age suitability.

Child protection online has become more and more of an issue, with youngsters as young as five or six known to be accessing Facebook.  The concern over what children can access online has led to a wave of parental control systems, but this is the first to follow the lead of the film classification board; and Tibboh believes that it offers a more personalised experience than many of the filters currently on the market.

The director of the Family Online Safety Institute told the Independent "There's no doubt that parents are looking for a commonality between DVD or video game classification and the net and Tibboh should be commended for this."

Tibboh's mobile broadband service is available for £19.99 per month, with a 15GB limit.