MPs approve law protecting children from 'harmful information'
On October 15, members of the House of Representatives adopted in first reading the draft law "On Making Addenda and Amendments to Some Laws of the Republic of Belarus". According to Education Minister Mikhail Zhuraukou, amendments are interdisciplinary in nature and are aimed at comprehensive legal regulation of relations connected with the protection of children from information harmful to their health and development. They noted the conditions and procedure for notification about the content of information products, marking the possible harm it can do to the child's health and development by assigning the information products to an appropriate age category. In this case, ages meant are "0+" (w/o restrictions) "6+" (for children aged 6), and the category "12+", "16+" and "18+".
Legal persons, individual entrepreneurs producing and disseminating information products will be obliged to assign it to an age category. In computer clubs, Internet cafes, educational institutions "software and hardware filtering, allowing to prevent the spread of harmful information for children" will have to be used.
This activity will be coordinated by the public advisory board to be established under the Government.
Photo: Fotolia
