Australian Classification Board

The Australian Classification Board is an Australian government statutory body responsible for the classification and censorship of films, television programmes, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Australia. The ACB is located in Sydney.
The ACB was established in 1917 as the Commonwealth Film Censorship Board. In 1988 it was incorporated for administrative purposes into the Office of Film and Literature Classification, until its dissolution in 2006. Following the legislative changes enacted in the Commonwealth Classification Act 1995, it became known as the Classification Board.
The ACB is made up of a director, a deputy director, and three other board members, appointed by the government for three- or four-year terms, and temporary board members. The ACB does not directly censor material by ordering cuts or changes. However, it is able to effectively censor media by refusing classification and making the media illegal for hire, exhibition and importation to Australia.
The classification system has several levels of "restricted" categories, prohibiting sale, exhibition or use of some materials to those who are under a prescribed age. Some documentaries and films are exempt from classification under certain conditions.

History

Early film classification

The Commonwealth Film Censorship Board was created in 1917 to view, classify, and censor films imported from overseas. In the early years of the system there were 3 ratings:

G for "general audiences"
A for "not suitable for children"
SOA for "suitable for adults only"

All ratings were advisory in nature and while distributors were required to display them on advertising, there were no restrictions on children's attendance. As such, films with adult ratings were still routinely censored.

1970s–1980s classifications reform

Customs Minister Don Chipp announced significant classification reform in 1970, including published decision registrars and the requirement of cinemas to legally restrict attendees. This ushered in a new era of film classification rather than censorship, and was enacted in 1971. The new ratings introduced were:

G for "general exhibition; suitable for everyone"
NRC for "not recommended for children under 12"
M for "mature audiences; suitable for persons 15 years and over"
R for "restricted exhibition; children aged 3-17 are not admitted"

In 1984, the NRC rating was renamed PG, due to confusion from parents about whether its content was stronger than M.

1990s; Modifications and computer game classifications

In 1993, the MA 15+ rating was introduced to flag content that was too strong for the M classification, but not so much so that the content should be restricted only to persons over the age of 18. Until 1997, the prescribed marking for the MA15+ rating was, "Restrictions apply to persons under 15 years", before it was later changed to "Persons under 15 years must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian" once DVD became prevalent. The Office of Film and Literature Classification was reorganised in 1994, and oversaw the ACB.
A separate classification system was introduced in 1994 for computer and video games. Despite its use of similar ratings names, these were backed by a distinct and stricter set of guidelines. The OFLC Annual Report for 1993-94 cited ministerial concern that "games, because of the “interactive” nature, may have greater impact, and therefore greater potential for harm or detriment, on young minds than film or videotape".
The four ratings were:

G for "general; suitable for all ages"
G 8+ for "general; suitable for children 8 years and over"
M 15+ for "mature; suitable for children 15 years and over"
MA 15+ for "mature - restricted; restricted to persons 15 years and over"
2000s–present

In 2005 the OFLC was dissolved and supervision of the ACB transferred to the attorney-general's department. The current colour-coded classification markings for films and computer games were introduced in May 2005. Moreover, the age descriptors and markers for the advisory ratings such as PG and M15+ were removed. As such, on the descriptors of posters, streaming and home video, the PG rating now only has the signifier, "Parental guidance recommended", and the M rating has "Recommended for mature audiences", without any reference to 15 years.
In 2005, video and computer games became subject to the same classification ratings and restrictions as films, such as G 8+ being replaced by PG, in response to confusion by parents. Despite a line in the National Classification Code stating that "adults should be able to read, hear and see what they want", the adults-only R 18+ classification was not applied to video games in Australia until 1 January 2013. The Department of Communications and the Arts provided administrative support to the ACB from 2006 until 2020, when it was merged into the 'mega department' of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. Decisions made by the ACB may be reviewed by the Australian Classification Review Board.
In August 2014, the ACB introduced amendments to allow for the automated classification process employed by the International Age Rating Coalition. This new process reduces the costs of video game developers as they seek to obtain ratings for their products that are distributed digitally online. In January 2019, for the first time, Netflix was given the go-ahead to self-regulate film and television classification on its streaming platform, allowing the company to rank content between G and R 18+.

Overview

The board operates on a procedure that primarily involves decision-making. The members must communicate their views clearly and appreciate the views of others. Board members would be exposed to a wide range of material, including content that is confronting and offensive. Every film and computer game has to be classified before it can be legally made available to the public. Some publications also need to be classified. Failure to give classification is an implicit ban. It is an offence "to display, demonstrate, sell, hire, publicly exhibit or advertise a film or computer game" without having it classified. Some films and documentaries are exempt from classification unless, if classified, they would be M or above.
There are legal age restrictions for the ratings of MA 15+ and R 18+. X 18+ is a special restriction rating for pornographic content. X 18+ is limited only to films, and the highest rating for video games remains R 18+. Should a game contain content not suitable for or exceeding the boundaries of an R 18+ rating, that game is usually either modified or, rarely, refused classification . The other classification categories are merely recommendations and they are not submitted to legal age restrictions. RC material cannot be sold, hired or distributed to anyone. A film or video game's context is crucial in determining whether a classifiable element is justified by the story-line or themes.
The ACB decides what consumer advice accompanies each classification. They indicate the elements in films and computer games which caused the classification and help consumers make choices about what they read, view or play. There are six classifiable elements for films: themes, violence, sex, language, drug use and nudity. Consumer advice appears with the classification symbol on products, packaging and in advertisements. Consumer advice is not given if the element in question would be acceptable at a lower classification. By August 2020, the ACB added another category for video games related to microtransactions, with any game including them listing in-game purchases alongside these other themes.
Film festivals and institutions such as Australian Centre for the Moving Image may apply to the ACB for an exemption from classification for the purpose of screening at a particular film festival or event. If the ACB believes an unclassified work, in their estimation, would receive an X 18+ classification if it were to be classified they would not grant an exemption for public screening, as an X 18+ cannot be exhibited. The ACB may require film festivals to have age-restricted entrance to a festival or screening. The ACB also classifies material submitted by the police, the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and the Australian Communications and Media Authority. The board does not classify live performances, audio CDs and television shows. Television is regulated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Film classification also normally applies to Internet streaming services. The ACB now operates under the Commonwealth Classification Act 1995.

Film and video game classifications

Unrestricted/Advisory

The classifications below are unrestricted and may suggest parental advisory, but do not otherwise impose any legal restrictions on access to or distribution of material.

Classification	Description
Exempt	Only very specific types of material can be exempted from classification, and the material cannot contain anything that exceeds the constraints of the PG classification. The assessment of exemption may be made by the distributor or exhibitor without needing to submit the product for certification by the ACB. Self-assessed exempt films cannot use the official marking, although it is advised that films and computer games that are self-assessed as exempt display, "This film/computer game is exempt from classification".
General	Contains material available for general viewing, i.e. suitable for viewing by persons of all ages. This category does not necessarily designate a children's film or game. Although not mandatory at this category, the board may provide consumer information, usually in relation to impacts on very young children. The content is very mild in impact. Themes should have a very low sense of threat or menace, and be justified by context. Violence should have only a low sense of threat or menace, and be justified by context. Sexual activity should be very mild and very discreetly implied, and be justified by context. Coarse language should be very mild and infrequent, and be justified by context. Drug use should be implied only very discreetly, and be justified by context. Nudity should be justified by context.
Parental Guidance	Contains material that is not recommended for viewing by persons under the age of 15 without guidance from parents or guardians. This category includes material that younger viewers may find confusing or upsetting. The content is mild in impact. Themes should have a very low sense of threat or menace, and be justified by context. Violence should be mild and infrequent, and be justified by context. Sexual violence is not permitted. Sexual activity should be mild and discreetly implied, and be justified by context. Coarse language should be mild and infrequent, and be justified by context. Sex, nudity and drug use should be mild, infrequent, "discreetly implied" and "justified by context". Drug use and nudity should be justified by context.
Mature	Contains material that is recommended for viewing by persons aged 15 years and over. However, people under 15 may legally access such material since this category carries no legal restrictions. This category includes material that may require a mature perspective, but is not deemed too strong for younger viewers. The content is moderate in impact, although in recent years, the "moderate" indicator prefix is omitted from the consumer advice, e.g. "moderate violence" is referred to as "violence". Themes may have a moderate sense of threat or menace, if justified by context. Moderate violence is permitted, if "justified by context". Sexual violence should be very limited and justified by context. Sexual activity should be discreetly implied, if "justified by context". Coarse language may be used. Aggressive or strong coarse language should be infrequent and justified by context. Drug use and nudity should be justified by context.