Uzbek Senate at the 11th plenary meeting on Thursday passed the Protection Of Children From Harmful Content Bill.
The Bill introduces a mandatory age rating for material: 7, 12, 16 and 18, and also those prohibited for children.
The latter includes material that encourages children to commit acts that pose a threat to their lives and (or) health, including self-harm, suicide; may incite in children the desire to use alcohol and tobacco products, substance abuse, encourage gambling, engage in prostitution, vagrancy or begging,.
The distribution of material that justifies the admissibility of violence and cruelty or encourages violent actions towards people or animals or other antisocial action that causes fear or panic is limited depending on the age of children.
The law provides for that distribution of printed products containing harmful material in places accessible for children is allowed only in sealed packages.
It is not allowed to distribute material harmful to children in children's educational, medical, sports, fitness, cultural and recreational facilities.
The legal act defines the powers of government bodies in this sphere and the mechanisms for participation of civil society institutions in this work. Content age rating is set by inter-agency commissions on affairs of minors on the basis of applications of producers and (or) distributors of material.
The passing of the bill is important due to the fact that 35% of the population of Uzbekistan or 11.2 million are minors under 18 years old.
