The ratings that AT&T Wireless, Microsoft, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless plan to use starting next year may look familiar to many. That's because they are based on those created for video games by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in 1994.
The app ratings, which will be officially announced today, include symbols such as "E" for "Everyone" or all ages and "T" for "Teen" or suitable for ages 13 and up. But the ratings also include descriptors detailing whether an app shares personal information or user-generated content, or connects to social networks, says ESRB President Patricia Vance.
CTIA-The Wireless Association chose the ESRB to create an app-rating system after soliciting bids earlier this year. As smartphones and the apps used on them evolved, CTIA saw the need for improved guidelines, says David Diggs, CTIA's vice president for wireless Internet development.
"In 2005, there was no such thing as an app, and the devices were radically different," he says.
Other providers are expected to implement the ratings, too. "It's an important milestone in our effort to make information available for parents and their kids," Diggs says.
CTIA's choice of the ESRB could allay industry fears about the voluntary ratings system. The video game industry created the self-regulatory ESRB after congressional hearings into violent content led to a federal ultimatum. Consumers are familiar with the ESRB ratings, Vance says. "And there's a certain credibility associated with them."
Calling the plan "consumer-friendly," Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., said in a statement that "it's a win-win when industry takes proactive, responsible steps to protect children from inappropriate content."
Currently, each online app store rates content in its own fashion. Apple rates apps for age appropriateness, while...
Source: http://www.mobile-tech-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=81157
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