Amazon has apologised after a technical error on its Prime Video service caused a child to be shown a 15-rated film instead of a PG title, leading the UK media regulator Ofcom to find the company in breach of its rules.
Mix-Up Between Two Films on Prime Video
The incident occurred when a parent paid to rent Diary of a Wimpy Kid through Amazon Prime Video. After playback began, the family realised the service was instead streaming Love & Other Drugs, a film rated 15 by the British Board of Film Classification for containing strong sex and sex references.
The parent later complained to Ofcom after discovering the error and said they had intended the PG-rated film for their young children.
Ofcom Investigation and Findings
Ofcom said Amazon breached its regulations by allowing the incorrect content to be shown. In its report, the regulator said parents and carers would have selected Diary of a Wimpy Kid on the assumption it was suitable for children to watch, potentially without adult supervision.
The complainant told Ofcom they contacted Amazon by phone three times but did not receive a call back before raising the issue with the regulator.
Ofcom confirmed it has not fined Amazon over the incident, despite finding the company in breach of its rules.
Cause of the Error and Scope of Impact
According to Ofcom, Amazon said the problem was caused by the film licensing company assigning the same internal code to both titles, when each film should have had a unique identifier. Amazon said the issue was resolved in less than 48 hours.
During that period, Ofcom said 122 customers attempted to watch Diary of a Wimpy Kid on the platform.
Amazon Response and Changes
Amazon said it has fixed the issue and apologised for the mistake. The company told Ofcom it has updated its internal processes to prevent similar errors from happening again.
Featured image credits: ccnull.de
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