Tasks
The protection of minors aims at minimising any influences emanating from the adult world on minors who have not yet reached a corresponding stage in their development, and to support children and adolescents in the development of their personality.
The protection of minors thus deals with the analysis and assessment of content in the media with a view to its potential risks or dangers for minors, and with regulating the way in which such content is publicly distributed. Under the legal provisions for the protection of minors, children and adolescents are to use media in accordance with their age or do not gain access to media so as to be protected from encountering problematic media content.
Under its remit for controlling broadcasting and telemedia content, the KJM analyses and assesses whether content breaches the provisions of the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors (JMStV). It decides on appropriate measures which are then implemented by the state media authorities. Under the system of regulated self-regulation, the KJM can certify organisations of self-regulation. In addition, the KJM specifies transmission times for certain types of content, analyses and approves encryption and blocking systems and certifies technical systems for the protection of minors. Furthermore, the KJM files applications for content in the internet to be listed in an index of problematic media and responds to applications for listing content which are filed by the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons ("Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien", BPjM).