US Christian advocacy group Concerned Women for America (CWA) has accused entertainment giant Disney of a “betrayal of trust,” claiming it broke its commitment to family-friendly content.
The group reports streaming platform Disney+ has boosted its availability of R-rated and MA-rated movies and shows — from around 60 to nearly 900.
CWA President and CEO Penny Nance contends that the streaming platform, which many families consider family-friendly, is making it harder for parents to protect their children from age-inappropriate content.
“A STARTLING CHANGE OF DIRECTION”
“All of this represents a startling change of direction for a brand that was once synonymous with wholesome family entertainment,” she stated.
“Disney assured parents in 2019 that they wouldn’t allow content higher than a PG-13 on its streaming platform.”
“So this is a betrayal of trust for the parents who built their household media habits around Disney’s ‘family friendly only’ promise.”
MASSES OF MATURE AUDIENCE CONTENT NOW AVAILABLE
The Christian Post reports CWA as saying parents can expect more than a 2,200% increase in R-rated movies and more than an 840% increase in MA-rated shows available on the platform.
Disney+ is reported to be adding hundreds of new shows and movies this month as part of an integration with streaming service Hulu.
CWA says that will increase the number of R-rated movies available for streaming from 19 to over 439.
The number of shows with a MA rating — meaning that the content is intended for mature audiences — will rise from 45 to 425.
At least one movie has an NC-17 rating which is the strictest rating in the US Motion Picture Association film rating system.
DISNEY URGED TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT
The Los Angeles Times reports that the Walt Disney Company made progress last month towards bringing Hulu content to the Disney+ platform, with the goal of fully integrating its streaming platforms this year.
It writes that Disney is hoping to persuade subscribers to upgrade to “a Disney bundle.”
CWA”s Penny Nance says: “We urge Disney to find other ways to protect children from R and MA-rated content.”
“They could offer a less expensive family-friendly tier and put the adult content on a different tier so that it’s less likely that children will stumble across inappropriate content,” she suggested.
‘WE STRONGLY URGE FAMILIES TO FIND SAFER STREAMING ALTERNATIVES”
“Disney should also ensure that the most restrictive parental controls are on by default, and if left on while logged in under an adult profile, it should automatically revert to the most restricted profile.”
“If Disney can’t add common sense protections, we strongly urge families to find safer streaming alternatives,” the CWA president added.
Disney has yet to publicly respond to the concerns.
CONCERNS ABOUT NETFLIX CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING
Last month, CWA released a report about the content in children’s shows available on the streaming platform Netflix.
The report titled: LGBTQ Messaging Pervasive In Netflix Children’s Programming compiled references to LGBT-related messages and storylines across 326 Netflix shows aimed at children.
According to the Christian advocacy group’s report, at least 41% of G-rated series and 41% of TV-Y7-rated series on Netflix feature LGBT content, including trans-identifying characters and same-sex couples.
Across all age categories, 33% of youth-related Netflix series contained LGBT themes, storylines or characters.
“Netflix’s anti-child, anti-family agenda has finally been exposed — its children’s programming has been infiltrated by adult pre-occupations with sexual preferences and gender identity,” Penny Nance said in a statement at the time.
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