Playboy sites must comply with ATVOD
May 17, 2011
Appeals by Playboy TV that two of its websites don’t fall within the scope of ATVOD regulation, have been rejected by Ofcom. This means the two video-on-demand websites must comply with new ATVOD enforced rules designed to protect children from video material which might cause them serious harm.
The new rules do not apply if videos are not ‘TV-like’. Playboy TV had argued that because the video content on Demand Adult and Climax 3 features fully explicit sexual images, and was therefore too explicit to be broadcast on UK television, it was not TV-like and was not therefore subject to the new ATVOD rules designed to protect children from video-on-demand content which might cause them serious harm.
ATVOD had ruled that, while more explicit than adult programmes shown on UK TV services, the videos were nevertheless comparable to such programmes and were essentially the same as ‘adult’ programmes which are frequently broadcast on linear TV channels in other EU jurisdictions, and were therefore subject to rules designed to protect children.