7.00Feature
The five ratings, side by side
Each rating stands for a level of impact, from very mild to high.
| Rating | Impact | What it means | Who may watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| G General | Very mild | Suitable for everyone, though it can have content that may scare very young children. | Anyone. Advisory only. |
| PG Parental Guidance | Mild | Can contain content a child may find confusing or upsetting. Not recommended for children under 15 without guidance from a parent or guardian. | Anyone. Advisory only. |
| M Mature | Moderate | Not recommended for children under 15. Can have content such as violence and themes that need a mature outlook. | Anyone. Children under 15 may legally watch. |
| MA 15+ Mature Accompanied | Strong | May include material with a strong impact, sex scenes and drug use among it. | People 15 and over, by law. Proof of age may be asked for. |
| R 18+ Restricted | High | Can contain content that may offend sections of the adult community. | Adults 18 and over, by law. Proof of age may be asked for. |
Two more categories sit beyond these. X 18+ is legally restricted to adults and applies to films with sexually explicit activity between consenting adults. Refused Classification (RC) material cannot be sold, hired, advertised or legally imported in Australia. Before a film is classified, advertising for it carries “Check the Classification”, or CTC.
At a cinema, a parent or adult guardian must buy the ticket and stay with a person under 15 for the whole of an MA 15+ film.
7.30Lifestyle
The words beside the rating
A classification for a film includes the rating and consumer advice, a short note on the most impactful and frequent content. The advice usually refers to six classifiable elements: themes, violence, language, drug use, nudity and sex.
The National Classification Database shows whether each of the six elements is present and at what level of impact, and its “Why this classification?” section explains the decision.
How impact is judged
Impact depends on how often, how intense and the overall effect, and purpose, tone and style can change it. Impact may be higher when a depiction is detailed, prolonged, realistic or interactive, and lower when it is implied, brief, verbal rather than visual, or incidental. Context matters too: the same content can fall into one rating in one story and outside it in another.
8.00Current affairs
Who rates what you stream
The national scheme classifies films and episodes whether they reach you by streaming, download, cinema, DVD or Blu-ray, though some films are exempt. Decisions can be made by the Classification Board, the Classification Review Board or an approved classification tool.
Under classification law, industry can also classify its own films and games instead of applying to the Board, in one of three ways:
- A classification tool: a questionnaire, computer program or other interface that lets a person or artificial intelligence classify content using rules that reflect the national scheme. Four tools are approved for use in Australia: three for films and TV series, and one for mobile and online games.
- An accredited classifier: a person approved by the Secretary of the department, trained and using the same criteria as the Board.
- A TV broadcaster’s decision, when another service releases content a broadcaster has classified.
Whichever way a decision is made, it includes a rating and consumer advice. Decisions by tools and accredited classifiers are published on the National Classification Database.
8.30Documentary
The four principles behind every decision
Decisions are guided by the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995, the National Classification Code and the guidelines for films, games and publications. The Code asks decisions to give effect to four principles:
- adults should be free to choose what they read, hear, see and play;
- minors should be shielded from material that is likely to harm or disturb them;
- everyone should be shielded from material they find offensive and did not ask for;
- community concerns about violence, sexual violence and the demeaning portrayal of people should be taken into account.
9.00News
What is not classified
Not everything on a screen carries a classification. The Australian Classification website lists what it does not classify: radio and content broadcast on TV, for which it points to the Australian Communications and Media Authority; websites, social media and apps; and recorded music, live music and music streaming services. For illegal and harmful online content, image-based abuse or cyberbullying, it points people to the eSafety Commissioner.
9.30Help
If a rating looks wrong
Anyone can complain about an industry decision: a rating that seems too low or too high, consumer advice that does not match the content, or a problem with how a service shows the classification.
- the full name of the film or episode;
- the service where you watched it;
- a description of the problem;
- a timestamp, if it is about a particular scene.
Australian Classification handles complaints about decisions made by classification tools and accredited classifiers itself, and replies in writing. A complaint about a TV broadcaster’s decision is referred to that broadcaster. You can find the contact details on the Australian Classification contact page.
To use ratings to limit what children can watch at home, see Ch 4: profiles and parental controls.