Europe Promotes Safe Mobile Use for ChildrenWirelessWeek writes…European operators and content providers are banding together to build a framework for safer use of mobile phones and mobile content by young people. The European Framework on Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children accord was signed by the operators as the EU kicked off Safer Internet Day.
The firms agreed to help parents customize their children’s access to content, offer safety information and promote discussion about risks. The agreement forms the basis of a national code of conduct that will be used across the EU and is derived from steps already taken by member states such as Britain, Germany, Italy and France. Mobile content also will be classified according to decency standards, and operators agree to fight illegal content.
The accord is the result of discussions set up by Viviane Reding, EU commissioner, in September 2006. Participants in the accord plan to develop national self-regulatory codes by February 2008. The EU will monitor and assess its efficiency after 12 months.
“This is an important step forward for child safety,� said Reding in a statement. “I congratulate the mobile phone industry for moving toward protecting minors. It shows that responsible self-regulation can work at European level.�
Current participants in the European Framework on Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children include Bouygues Telecom, Cosmote, Debitel AG, Deutsche Telekom Group, Go Mobile, Hutchison 3G Europe, Jamba!, Mobile Entertainment Forum, Orange Group, Royal KPN N.V., SFR, Telecom Italia, Telefonica Movilers, S.A., Telenor, TeliaSonera and Vodafone.
