Ikärajakoodit

Ikärajakoodit are a system used in Finland to classify the age suitability of films, television programs, and video games. These codes are assigned by the Finnish National Bureau of Classification (Kansallinen videoiden tarkastuskeskus, KAVAT). The primary purpose of the ikärajakoodit is to protect children from content that may be harmful or inappropriate for their age group.

The ikärajakoodit system consists of several categories. The most common are:

K-3: Suitable for all ages.

K-7: Suitable for viewers aged 7 and over. Content may include mild violence or frightening scenes.

K-12: Suitable for viewers aged 12 and over. Content may include more intense violence, frightening scenes, or mature themes.

K-16: Suitable for viewers aged 16 and over. Content may include strong violence, sexual themes, or substance abuse.

K-18: Suitable for viewers aged 18 and over. Content is intended for adults and may contain explicit violence, sexual content, or other mature themes.

In addition to these primary categories, there is also a category S, which stands for "Salassa" (secret) or "sovittelu" (mediation), indicating that the content has been restricted for reasons other than age, often related to sensitive historical or political topics, and its screening may be subject to special conditions or further review.

The ikärajakoodit are advisory and not legally binding for private viewing in homes. However, they are mandatory for public screenings in cinemas and for the sale and rental of physical media. Retailers are expected to enforce these age restrictions. The system aims to provide guidance to parents and guardians, enabling them to make informed decisions about the media consumption of their children.