A collection of networks and mobile content providers last month signed the European Framework for Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children. This agreement, brokered by the European Commission, responds to the findings of the Commission’s public consultation on child safety and mobile phones.
The Framework isn’t a set of rules. Instead it will “facilitate the roll-out of national voluntary agreements by highlighting approaches that have already been implemented successfully by the mobile provider and content communities in a number of EU Member States” – so it’s more a forum for access control mechanisms, the classification of commercial content, methods of fighting illegal content, and ideas for raising awareness and education.
As Kaisu Karvala, Chairman of GSM Europe, put it: “Mobile and content providers … have already developed national codes of conduct in a number of EU Member States. The aim of this initiative is to support the development of frameworks in the rest of the EU.”
The mobile operators have undertaken to develop appropriate self-regulatory codes by next February.
Signatories include the parent companies of T-Mobile, 3, O2, Orange and Vodafone.
As Kaisu Karvala, Chairman of GSM Europe, put it: “Mobile and content providers … have already developed national codes of conduct in a number of EU Member States. The aim of this initiative is to support the development of frameworks in the rest of the EU.”
The mobile operators have undertaken to develop appropriate self-regulatory codes by next February.
Signatories include the parent companies of T-Mobile, 3, O2, Orange and Vodafone.