Parental ratings

Target Help

What is your policy on age-restricted movies and TV shows?

As a national retailer with a range of guests that is broad and diverse, we respect your right to individually choose or not choose to purchase specific titles of movies or TV shows. Also, as a family-friendly retailer, we provide movies that display film board ratings.

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What is your policy on age-restricted music?

As a national retailer with a range of guests that is broad and diverse, we respect your right to individually choose or not choose to purchase specific titles of music. Also, as a family-friendly retailer, we provide music that displays parental advisory alerts.
We encourage parents to take an active role in their children's purchasing decisions for music. As a result, we don't require age identification to purchase music, and we don't otherwise interfere with your decisions concerning your personal decisions to purchase music.
We respect the rights of our diverse guests in choosing to buy or not buy CDs in their originally intended version; we feel selling editor-sanitized CDs is a form of censorship.
We do not edit CDs, screen the contents of the lyrics or review the art inside the CD book.
We may offer edited "clean" versions of explicit CDs on Target.com.
We follow efforts on the national level to establish a rating system to help parents and retailers make selections. Parental advisory stickers on some CDs we sell are based on music industry standards that denote explicit lyrics.

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What is Target's policy on age-restricted video games?

Target sells video games for consoles and personal computers that are rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). The age ratings indicate age-appropriate content ranging from everyone through mature audiences. ESRB ratings also include content descriptors that indicate content that may have triggered the age rating and interactive elements that highlight online features that may be of interest or concern, but do not influence the age rating. Virtually all video games are assigned ESRB rating information.
The ESRB rating system is posted in the video game and computer software departments in our stores where it is visible to guests.
Our goal is to make sure parents have access to important information about the ratings and content of media products that they or their children may purchase. Ultimately, however, it is up to you to determine if a product is appropriate.
We support the efforts of the ESRB to educate consumers and address concerns about young people buying mature-rated titles of video games. Target doesn't carry "adults only" software.
Target voluntarily restricts the sale of M-rated video games by carding minors and limiting those sales to persons 17 years of age and older.
- All store team members receive educational training on the identification process for M-rated content, and a message prompts store team members to verify a guest’s age whenever M-rated content is scanned.
- On Target.com, there is a pop-up that requires guests to certify they are old enough to buy M-rated content. If you select “no,” you are unable to add the content to your cart.

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What do the movie ratings represent?

Target adheres to current industry movie standard rating systems. Movie ratings indicate the audience for which a movie is appropriate. For the most up-to-date ratings list, visit filmratings.com.

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Who decides if an Explicit Lyrics or Parental Advisory ratings symbol is added to CDs?

The "Explicit Lyrics" or "Parental Advisory" tag appears on the cover of certain CDs. This label is provided by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and denotes the presence of strong language or depictions of sex, violence or substance abuse. The decision to label specific CDs is made by recording companies in conjunction with artists.

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What do the TV ratings and content labels represent?

Target adheres to current industry TV standard rating systems. TV ratings indicate the audience for which a television program is appropriate. TV Parental Guidelines may have one or more letters added to the basic rating to let parents know when a show may contain violence, sex, adult language or suggestive dialogue.

For the most up-to-date ratings list, visit tvguidelines.org/ratings.htm.

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What do the ESRB ratings, content descriptors, and interactive elements assigned to video games mean?

The ESRB ratings are designed to provide concise and impartial information about the content in computer and video games so you can make an informed purchase decision. ESRB ratings have three equal parts: rating symbols that suggest age appropriateness for the game, content descriptors that indicate elements in a game that may have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern, and interactive elements that highlight interactive or online features, but do not influence the age rating.

To take full advantage of the ESRB rating system, check the rating symbol (on the front of the box), content descriptors, and interactive elements (on the back). For the most up-to-date list of ratings categories, content descriptors, and interactive elements, visit the ESRB website.

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