Parental Advisory sticker to appear on online music and vids

Good news for concerned parents: the 'Parental Advisory' sticker -- as seen on Woody Harrelson's shirt in CNET UK all-time fave White Men Can't Jump -- will apply to online music and videos from today, the Telegraph reports.

It'll appear next to music and video files on sites including Amazon, iTunes, HMV and Napster, warning those about to watch or listen. But will it really work?

The scheme is backed by singer Jamelia. She said, "As a parent, naturally I worry about whether my kids are viewing and listening to appropriate content when they're online, but without some form of guidance it can be almost impossible to stay on top of what's suitable and what's not.

"I think parents would agree that having the same logo for online music services that we're used to seeing in the high street gives parents the ability to quickly and easily judge whether a song or music video is right for their child."

It's rolling out from today. We had a quick look round and could see it on iTunes, but not yet Amazon.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has used the sticker for physical music and video since 1995, though the logo was first used in the US in 1990 by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It's traditionally used to advise parents whether the material would contain explicit sexual references, language or violence, but some would say it'll be less effective online than in stores -- it's not embarrassing to buy something online. It will be useful for parents browsing with young children in the same room, however.

A couple of months ago, it was announced the government is choosing an 'opt in' deal for Internet access, whereby new customers have to contact their ISP if they want access to adult material. We can't help but feel it'll be tricky to implement.

Do you welcome the Parental Advisory sign? Or is it redundant on the web? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page.