Age ratings of media – Who is behind it?

FSK, USK, PEGI, FSF and FSM – these are all abbreviations for institutions for the protection of minors in the media, so-called self-regulatory bodies. Parents come across their logos and age ratings everywhere: in app stores, on streaming services, on DVDs or in TV programs. We explain who or what exactly is behind them.

How does the protection of minors work?

The Youth Protection Act and the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media stipulate that media must not endanger the development of children and young people – for example through violence or other critical content. Age limits such as 0, 6, 12, 16 or 18 years help to classify content accordingly.

The audit is carried out by various self-regulatory bodies:

• FSK (Voluntary Self-Regulation of the Film Industry): Films in cinemas or on DVD/Blu-ray etc.
• USK (Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body): Digital games
• FSF (Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Fernsehen e.V.): TV content and TV-like content on the Internet
• FSM (Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Multimedia-Diensteanbieter e. V.): Online media
• PEGI (Pan European Games Information): Video games at European level. Often these appear in addition to USK labels. PEGI sometimes uses different age ratings than in Germany. The USK ratings are more important for the German market, as they are based on the law applicable here.

Age markings and media access

• Streaming services: Providers such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video use the FSK age ratings. Parents can use categories such as “from 6” or “from 12” to assess which content is suitable. In addition, many platforms offer child profiles and PIN protection to block unsuitable content.

Tip: FSK ratings help to assess whether content is generally approved for young people. They are not a recommendation and do not help you decide whether your child can process the content emotionally. Platforms such as FLIMMO offer additional educational recommendations.

• Apps and mobile media: Age ratings (e.g. “from 3”, “from 12”) are also mandatory in app stores. Among other things, they take advertising, data protection and in-app purchases into account. Parents can use parental control functions in the iOS or Android operating systems, for example, to ensure that only suitable apps are installed and used. Incidentally, there are different age markings in the app stores: In the Google Playstore, you will find the USK markings, while Apple in turn sets its own age markings in the App Store.

Tip: Platforms such as Spieleratgeber NRW rate apps not only according to age, but also according to their educational value.

• Gaming platforms: Computer games are tested by the USK in Germany. For parents, consoles and PC platforms offer protective measures such as game time limits, age filters and the blocking of chats.

Tip: Check age ratings and discuss with your child what content is appropriate.

What should parents pay attention to?

The age ratings are a measure for the protection of minors. The aim is not to impair the development of children and young people, for example by depicting violence or sexual acts. The age ratings are binding. An 18+ game may not be sold to younger children and films that are rated 12+ may not be seen in cinemas by younger children without an accompanying adult.

Things are a little different within your own four walls: the state does not generally regulate what media content your child is allowed to watch at home. You may make media content accessible to your child that is not approved for their age. However, the duty to educate must not be violated in the process. You need to assess how your child handles certain content and whether he or she can process it. The age ratings provide a good orientation! FSK, USK and FSF ratings provide no information as to whether children already understand the content and whether it is recommended for a certain age from an educational point of view. However, the individual justifications of classified films, series and games can be read on the websites of the self-regulatory bodies. You should also take a look at educational recommendations, such as the NRW games guide and spielbar.de for games and the FLIMMO website for films, series and TV programs.