Video games will get plot marking: protection or censorship?

Ministry of Economic Development prepared a bill that proposes introducing a system for labeling video games based on their content. The criteria for classifying games for computers, as well as for game consoles, will be developed by the Ministry of Digital Development together with the Ministry of Health.

The bill encourages manufacturers and distributors to independently label video games based on their content in order to avoid excessive regulation and negative impact on the creative industry. “Subject” marking, supplementing the age classification, will help protect users from inappropriate content and developers from unfounded claims, the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development explained.

The press service also clarified that the labeling system will apply to all video games on various platforms, including game consoles.

The markings will be in the form of special characters or text warnings. According to representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development, the proposed labeling system is the “softest” type of regulation on the market, compared with international practices used in different countries.

In addition, open discussions are planned in the near future to receive proposals for improving this draft law.