BlackBerry App World embraces CTIA's app ratings

Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) introduced an application rating system for its BlackBerry App World storefront based on the app rating system introduced by the CTIA and the Entertainment Software Rating Board earlier this week.

Users will be able to filter which apps they can search for by rating.

That BlackBerry is adopting CTIA's content rating system comes as a surprise, given that RIM did not participate in CTIA's unveiling of its ratings system. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) did not attend CTIA's announcement of its new rating system and niether plan to support the system. However, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) said it will support CTIA's application rating system in its Windows Marketplace app storefront.

Most apps in BlackBerry App World will receive a General rating, meaning they are suitable for all ages. Apps in certain categories, including action and arcade games, social networking and messaging apps, movie and TV themes and entertainment apps, will automatically be given a teen rating (intended for users 13 or older).

"Our content rating system has been planned out based on input from our carrier, consumer, and developer partners to make sure we've implemented a content rating system that helps parents control what types of content their children have access to," wrote Alex Kinsella, a product manager for BlackBerry App World, on the BlackBerry Developer Blog.

Apps can be rated Mature (for users 17 and older) or Adult (for users 18 or older and contains adult content) if they include violence, sexual content, strong language, gambling or promote alcohol, tobacco and drug use. Ratings will only apply to content from BlackBerry App World, unlike the CTIA/ESRB system, which would rank content regardless of platform. BlackBerry App World will rely on developers to rate their own apps.

"Developers will have 15 days to log into the Vendor Portal and update your Content Rating questions if you believe your app or theme should have a different rating," Kinsella wrote.

Once BlackBerry users upgrade to BlackBerry App World 3.1, they will be able to restrict access to apps based on their ratings.

For more:
- see the BlackBerry blog
- see this IntoMobile article

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