The Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) is an international, non-profit organization of internet leaders working to make the internet safer for children, while respecting the rights of content providers. ICRA has long believed the best approach to protecting children online is through “user empowerment” – giving families the tools to control their online experience. When used voluntarily, tools like ICRA’s empower families to match their online experience with their values, without compromising free expression or undermining other users’ access to information.
The centrepiece of the organization is the descriptive vocabulary, often referred to as “the ICRA questionnaire.” Content providers check which of the 45 elements in the questionnaire are present or absent from their websites. This then generates a short piece of computer code known as an ICRA label that the webmaster then adds to his/her site.
Users, especially parents of young children, can then use filtering software to allow or disallow access to web sites based on the information declared in the label. A key point is that the Internet Content Rating Association does not rate internet content – the content providers do that, using the ICRA labelling system. ICRA makes no value judgement about sites.
The descriptive vocabulary was drawn up by an international panel and designed to be as neutral and objective as possible. Most of the items in the questionnaire allow the content provider to declare simply that a particular element, such as bare breasts, gambling or chat facilities, is present or absent. The subjective decision about whether to allow access to that content is then made by the parent.
The ICRA vocabulary at a glance
The broad topics covered are:
- The nudity and sexual content of a site
- The violence depicted on the site
- The language used on the site
- Chat facilities
- Other topics such as gambling, drugs and alcohol.
Within each broad category the web author is asked more detailed questions about whether a specific item or feature is present or absent from the site.
Cross-cultural, multi-lingual
The ICRA questionnaire can be completed in several different languages; however, the labels themselves are just short pieces of computer code. The ICRA labelling system is therefore independent of any given (human) language.
This website is offered in a variety of languages too, however, ICRA’s working language is English. The English version of the website is therefore typically more up to date than other language versions.
The ICRAplus filter
ICRA makes a free filter available for individual users. This will block or allow access to labelled sites based on the user’s preferences. The ICRAplus control panel is a mirror image of the questionnaire filled in by content providers and thus allows almost direct communication between webmasters and parents. In addition parents can create their own block or allow lists, set up different filtering profiles for different family members and easily override a blocked site that they deem appropriate for their child.
However, in order to create a comprehensive filtering system that will block or allow access to websites, including unlabelled sites, ICRAplus also allows users to install additional modules that can use other methods to filter internet access.
Technical standards used
Since ICRA was formed, its labels have used the PICS system – the Platform for Internet Content Selection. Work is now being done to make ICRA labels available using RDF – Resource Description Framework. This is the metadata platform for the XML family of technologies and offers significant advantages over PICS. However, ICRA will continue to recognise PICS labels for the foreseeable future, alongside the new labels as they are developed.
Full technical details of PICS and RDF can be found at the World Wide Consortium’s website.
ICRA board members
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Mike CossePublic Policy & Government Relations AOL Germany |
Mirko BibicChief, Regulatory Affairs Bell Canada |
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Nick TrumanHead of Customer Security, BTOpenworld BT |
Joe FransesCommunity Investment Manager Cable & Wireless plc |
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Al MackayVice President, Operations Canadian Policy Research Networks |
Tom Phillips (chair)Government & Regulatory Affairs Manager GSM Association |
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David Kerr |
Akio KokubuVice President Internet Association Japan |
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Stephen BalkamChief Executive Officer Internet Content Rating Association |
Chuck CossonPolicy Counsel Microsoft Corporation |
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Dr. Peng Hwa AngDean, School of Communication Studies Nanyang Technological University |
Carmee LimChairman Parents Advisory Group for the internet (PAGi) |
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David MilesWorldwide Marketing VP Solarsoft Limited |
Gabriele SchmeichelSenior Counsel T-Online International AG |
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David E YoungDirector, Technology Policy Verizon Online Services, Inc. and Verizon Entertainment, Inc. |
ICRA staff
Spelling used on this site
As ICRA operates internationally, we receive a number of e-mails questioning our spelling of the English language. This of course stems from the differences between the spelling norms adopted by English speaking countries around the world. As we are based in Britain, we have used British spelling for words like “labelling”, “favourite” etc. We have however used the “~ize” form of words like “organization” as this is acceptable everywhere… and we had a lot of e-mails from the US when an earlier version of this web site included the (normal for Britain) “organisation”!
The graphics (such as the one at the bottom of this page) are available in US-English (labeled with ICRA) and non-US English forms (labelled with ICRA), as well as other language variants… and with no words at all for complete safety.
That said, if you find any typos, do let us know!
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