The protection of minors always reflects the norms and values of society as a whole. The principles and guiding criteria are therefore determined by an Advisory Board composed of various representatives from society, politics and business.
This committee determines the USK principles as well as the guiding criteria. Furthermore, it appoints those people who play important roles in the classification process. Among those are the game testers, who play through the games and present them in front of the classification comittee of youth protection experts, who then recommend an age rating to the Permanent State Representatives.
The Advisory Board also appoints the chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of the Appeals Committees, which include representatives of churches and religious communities, media education, the Federal Ministry for Youth, the Federal Youth Ministries, the Federal Review Board for Media Harmful to Minors (BPjM), youth organisations and the computer games industry, as well as representatives of the USK members and experts on youth protection.
