The U.S. Federal Trade Commission issued a report today on how well the entertainment media enforces its voluntary ratings for violent or explicit content. If you were expecting to hear that violent M-rated games find their way into the hands of the average tweener, sorry, you’re about to be disappointed.

Seventy percent of underage “mystery shoppers” were able to buy music with parental advisory warnings at stores, while fifty percent were able to get their hands on R-rated movies. In addition, thirty percent were able to purchase tickets to R-rated films at the box office (no sneaking in required). The stats on games were slightly better, however, as only twenty percent were able to buy M-rated video games.

All was not golden, though, and the FTC did include some advice on future precautions that will need to be put in place for the trend to continue. They pointed out that online games and game gift cards are potential loopholes that need monitoring. The problem arises from the fact that online games aren’t systematically rated, so parents don’t have an easy way to see whether the content is appropriate. The problem with gift cards is that they allow kids to buy and play games online, where there aren’t any store clerks verifying age. Could there be a form of formal cyber-ID in the offing?

Source: LA Times