Submitted by GusTavToo - March 14, 2008 at 11:55 am -0500194.80.32.8
When the BBFC was given its current powers in the 1980s the nature of the debate in Parliament was focused on the censorship issue. The treatment of so-called 'video nasties', such as 'Driller Killer' et al, created a political impetus for action. It was also clear that material to be viewed in the home was to be treated differently than cinema exhibition; as cinemas were seen as controlled environments where age restrictions could be more easily enforced.
Cinema censorship was traditionally handled by local Govt but new legal powers had to be granted to allow for the growth of home video. It is these rules that now apply to digital media distributed in the UK.
The BBFC's role has always been driven by a censorship role (an political pressure focusing on 'harmful' material), but it also understood that the majority of material would be suitable for adults and therefore classification would be the norm.

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