Six U.K. mobile phone operators Mon. unveiled a plan to shield ch...
Six U.K. mobile phone operators Mon. unveiled a plan to shield children from pedophiles by preventing them from using adult online services. The code of practice -- developed by Orange, O2, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone and 3 -- would…
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bar children under 18 from several kinds of commercial content, including online gambling, mobile gaming, chat rooms and Internet access. However, the companies said, it wouldn’t cover traditional premium rate voice or texting services, which were regulated under a separate code of practice. Under the code: (1) Mobile operators would appoint an independent classification body to craft guidelines for classifying commercial content unsuitable for customers under 18. (2) Commercial content providers would have to self-classify as “18” all materials unsuitable for children under 18. (3) Each mobile operator would put such content behind access controls such as subscription-only services and PIN-controlled access, making it available only to customers verified as over 18. (4) Operators would put access controls on all commercial content chat rooms unless they were moderated. (5) Operators would advise parents and children on new mobile devices and services. Because mobile operators have no control over content offered online, they said, they would offer parents ways to filter their Internet access services to seek to block content approximately equivalent to commercial content with an 18 rating. Operators said they would work with law enforcement agencies on reporting content that might violate criminal laws. The code of practice reportedly was developed after consultation with U.K. children’s charities. Late last week, the Children’s Charities’ Coalition for Internet Safety (CHIS) applauded the code but said the “devil is, however, in the detail.” The charities are “anxious to see how the code will be implemented and its effects monitored and reviewed,” CHIS said. The code will make “many people ask why, if the mobile people can do it, the fixed Internet people can’t,” CHIS said. The group called on ISPs to follow mobile operators’ lead “as a matter of urgency.” The Internet Services Providers’ Assn. U.K. hadn’t returned a call seeking comment by our deadline.