David Cameron unveils pilot scheme
Andrew Trendell

09:11 19th August 2014

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David Cameron has unveiled the Government's plans for online music videos to be given age-ratings to prevent minors from seeing inappropriate content from October. 

 The PM this week announced a pilot scheme with YouTube and the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), adding that 'strengthening families' was at the heart of what Government was trying to achieve, and would be a huge priority from October. 

“I know that I am far from the perfect father and husband, and I will never pretend otherwise,” he said in a specch - adding: "In as far as possible we should try to make sure that the rules that exist offline should exist online.

"So if you want to go and buy a music video offline there are age restrictions on it. We should try to recreate that system on the internet."

Mr Cameron continued: "As for my own children, I am sure there are times when they have been disappointed because they haven’t been able to do something or see something.

"But that is part of what being a parent is about, is being able to deploy the use of the word ‘no’ and even sometimes to deploy the use of the off switch on the television, as unpopular as that might be – and sometimes ineffectual because they find another screen somewhere that is switched on."

Lady Gaga, Robin Thicke and Miley Cyrus are among the stars who have come under fire for their NSFW and raunchy music videos, especially for them arguably being targeted at younger audiences.

The BPI, who represent the UK music industry, said labels would voluntarily submit videos likely to be rated 12 or above to the BBFC.

A BPI spokesman said: "The BPI agrees with government that, with so many more music videos now being released online through such sites as YouTube and Vevo, it is important this content is made available to the public in a responsible way, that is sensitive to the needs and concerns of younger viewers and their parents in particular.

"The BPI and its members are therefore working with the BBFC, Digital Service Providers and with the support of government on a pilot scheme that will trial age ratings for music videos released online through the UK."

They added: "Technical details are still being developed, but the scheme will see UK record labels voluntarily submit content likely to be rated 12 or above to the BBFC for classification into 12, 15 or 18 age categories.  Labels will then include this data with a ‘parental advisory’ style alert in its feed to the Digital Service Providers so that users, including parents, can make a more informed viewing decision."

The age-rating pilot is set to start on 1 October

Below: The 16 most shocking headlines from Miley Cyrus' Bangerz tour

  • Cyrus just knows precisely how to provoke: her Bangerz tour is filled with nudity, catfights, drug references, twerking bears, flying hot dogs and the rubbing of ladyparts - as we shall discover...

  • Ahead of the tour, Miley told Fuse that she thought the tour would be 'educational' for kids', adding: "They're going to be exposed to art most people don't know about. I'm excited to take this tour to places where [art] like this wouldn't be accepted, where kids wouldn't learn about this different kind of art." The opening show did educate, but it seemed to be on how to simulate masturbation and give Bill Clinton a blowjob...

  • ...oh, and how to ride a giant flying hotdog.

  • On the third night, she threw caution to the wind and upset a couple more mums and dads when she stuffed a fans' thong into her mouth.

  • Naturally, it was only a matter of time until parents campaigned for the tour to be cancelled. In February, the 'Wrecking Ball' star's management team were reportedly flooded with complaints and calls for the singer's raunchy Bangerz tour to be axed, with mums and dads refusing to subject their kids to a 'porn show'. Live Nation denied that the complaints were any threat to the tour, and that reviews had been overwhelmingly positive.

  • Cyrus had a pretty clear message for any critics. "I don't think people realise how much energy I put into my shows & how much their bad energy brings me down," she tweeted - adding: "You can't say I didn't warn you. Now sit back relax & enjoy the show." YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

  • Friend and support act Sky Ferreira got pretty caught up in the energy and atmosphere of the wild show too - falling off stage and hurting herself pretty badly. Still, like the trooper and pro that she is, she managed to complete her set before being taken to hospital for 60 stitches. Ouch.

  • Then came accusations of racism, when she came under fire for using both black backing dancers and little people in her shows, but the singer has laughed off claims she is degrading anyone, saying racism claims are ridiculous. "It's really funny how serious people take it. And they're like, you're racist. And I'm like, 'Really?'", she told MSNBC. "It's like, literally, we're just a bunch of kids dancing around in bears. We don't have choreography... They're awesome dancers on their own; it's not me telling them how to be."

  • After she made headlines at the EMAs by smoking what appeared to be a 'funny cigarette' at the EMA Awards, Miley then reportedly accepted a joint from a fan on stage during a show on the Bangerz tour - although regrettably, she couldn't light it this time.

  • At a gig in Las Vegas in March, whilst performing her track 'Adore You' (which has traditionally seen a 'kiss-cam' turn on same-sex couples enjoying a smooch which is then broadcast to the whole arena) Miley decided to get involved by leaning into the crowd and making out with a female fan. Post concert, Cyrus then thanked the "mystery babe" for the kiss via Twitter.

  • Miley's tongue got her in trouble again when in March, it emerged that a worker responsible for building her massive tongue stage slide was suing her and the production company after being injured in doing so. Yes, really.

  • Sure temperatures were sent soaring throughout the NSFW tour, but never so much as in March when one of her tour buses burst into flames while on the road. Luckily, no one was hurt.

  • Cyrus is a sensitive soul, as proven when at a gig in April she broke down in tears when dedicating a cover of Fleetwood Mac's 'Landslide' to her dog Floyd, who recently passed away. "It's going to be hard to do this next song, I'm not sounding myself, I don't feel myself." said Cyrus, "I just wanna do one song... I'm sure you guys already know but the reason I'm upset is because my dog, I shouldn't say he was my favourite, but he was my favourite, and he passed away. I just wanna do a song for him, because we used to always listen to Fleetwood Mac together, it was his favourite song to go on runs to, so I want to do this song for Floydie."

  • When two teenage girls got into a scuffle during, oddly, the acoustic segment of Miley's show in Detroit, they were right in the 'Wrecking Ball' star's eyeline. As a result, the singer recorded the tussle on her phone, before gleefully exclaiming "catfight!". Once they had spotted Miley had turned her all-seeing gaze on them, the girls stopped fighting and started to wave excitedly instead. What a world.

  • Back in April, Miley left fans in Charlotte, North Carolina devastated after cancelling a Bangerz gig just 30 minutes before showtime. In her defence, she was in 'excruciating pain' suffering with the flu.

  • But say what you will - Miley certainly knows how to put on a show and do things her own way. Sky Ferreira summed it up perfectly when she told Buzzfeed: "Miley is a girly girl, but she also isn’t. She likes putting on makeup, she likes sexy clothes and stuff, but she’s pretty down. This term is so stupid, but she’s down to Earth. People think there are people telling Miley to do something, about her sexuality, or whatever people trip over. They don’t realize that she knows what she wants to do, and she does it. Pop music is provocative - I don’t really see what the big deal over it is."

  • In May, Miley caused a fair amount of controversy making a 'date rape' 'joke' at London's G-A-Y Club. "You know, everyone's a little bit gay," she told the crowd. "It's the truth. Everyone's gay, all it takes is one cocktail. And if that doesn't work, sprinkle something in their drink. That's what I always do."

  • Our Miley caused a bit of a stir among indie purists when she covered 'There Is A Light And It Never Goes Out' by The Smiths in Belfast. Morrissey followers were outraged, but Youtube it - it wasn't that bad.

  • In August, due to the controversial nature of her live shows on the Bangerz tour, Miley Cyrus has been banned from performing in the Dominican Republic. The singer's performances are not permitted because Cyrus "undertakes acts that go against morals and customs, which are punishable by Dominican law.%u201D

  • Taking a brief break from twerking on stage, Miley Cyrus unveiled her 'Dirty Hippie' art exhibition - featuring brightly-coloured sculptures made from teddy bears, jewellery, drugs and a vibrator she got given by a fan. "I did the pineapple because you know what they say about pineapple right? Yummy cum? If you drink a lot of pineapple juice you're going to have yummy cum." Jesus.

  • The latest incident sees Miley Cyrus threatened with legal action following being spanked with a Mexican flag on stage. Cyrus was performing in Monterrey in Nuevo Leon, and Cyrus may have fallen foul of a law that prevents acts which show "disrespect for the flag and national symbols." Cyrus risks being fined up to $1200 or detained for 36 hours. We'll come visit you, Miley.

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