Internet Watch Foundation

IWF has helped to form a new forum which is helping bring together the thinking of various bodies involved in regulating content, particularly those with a role in converging media. The Forum is now established enough to have decided terms of reference, which have been published by ICSTIS as follows:

 

The Content Regulators Forum held its fourth meeting on 12 April 2001. The Forum, made up of senior representatives of the UK's various communications regulators, was set up in 1999 by premium rate services regulator ICSTIS and Internet content watchdog the Internet Watch Foundation to forge closer links between the different regulatory bodies responsible for broadcast, print and telecommunications content.

 

The members of the Forum are the Committee of Advertising Practice, the Advertising Standards Authority, the BBC, the British Board of Film Classification, the Broadcasting Standards Commission, ICSTIS, the Independent Television Commission, the Internet Watch Foundation, the Office of Fair Trading, Oftel, the Radio Authority and Trust UK.

 

The Forum pre-dates the Government's recently-published Communications White Paper and has accurately anticipated the Government's goal of bringing together those statutory, co- and self-regulatory bodies with shared interests and responsibilities for consumer protection and citizen's interests. The existence of the Forum is also helping to meet the White Paper's objectives of consistency of approach where appropriate, effective arrangements for dealing with issues which cross regulatory boundaries, and the provision of a vehicle for the exchange of information on issues of shared interest.

 

At its most recent meeting the Forum had presentations on the work of the Internet Content Rating Association, on new European dispute resolution procedures and on the package of communications directives before the European Council. Since publication of the White Paper, the Forum has proved to be a valuable platform for discussion between those bodies destined to become part of the proposed OFCOM and others, such as ICSTIS, the Committee of Advertising Practice, the Advertising Standards Authority, the British Board of Film Classification and the Internet Watch Foundation, who are expected to continue to provide consumer protection in the communications field in either a co- or self-regulatory capacity.

 

For more information, please contact:
Rob Dwight Tel: 020 7940 7408 (ICSTIS Press Office)