The V‐Chip in Canada and the United States: Themes and variations in design and deployment

Abstract

While the timing and thrust of V‐Chip policies pursued in Canada and the U. S. in the mid‐1990s were similar, specific ways that V‐Chip technologies were deployed varied significantly. Design and deployment choices reflected the technical and industrial context, regulatory dynamics, and legislative institutions and processes in each country. Modeled after closed captioning technologies, in Canada the V‐Chip was deployed in the cable decoder box, with the CRTC making key decisions. The V‐Chip was introduced in television sets in the U.S., with greater legislative involvement.