Mobile App Ratings
In November 2011, CTIA - The Wireless Association announced that the ESRB had been selected to develop and administer a rating system specifically designed for mobile apps. Founding storefronts for this initiative include AT&T, Microsoft, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless.
The "CTIA Mobile Application Rating System with ESRB" assigns ratings via a brief questionnaire that assess the app's content, similar to the one devised by the ESRB for console downloadable games. The ESRB app ratings use the same age rating icons (with the exception of the "Early Childhood" category) and similar content descriptors as the ESRB's traditional game rating system. Apps are also assigned notices that advise of other elements parents might want to be aware of, including the sharing of the user's location or their personal information, or possible exposure to user-generated content. According to a guide posted on ESRB's website, these notices include "Shares Info," "Shares Location," and "Users Interact." Participating storefronts "may display any or all of the components of an app's rating prior to download and/or utilize this information as filtering criteria."
As of September 2012 the ESRB had assigned ratings to more than 100 mobile apps and its ratings could be found in the Windows Phone Marketplace, T-Mobile Mall, and Verizon Apps - which was the first to adopt ESRB ratings for all apps available in their storefront.
Read more about this topic: Entertainment Software Rating Board
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