Mobile phones increasingly have enhanced features such as colour screens, picture messaging, video cameras and internet browsers. These have raised fears that children using mobiles may be at risk from unsuitable material. The major mobile phone operators have developed and signed up to a voluntary Code governing new types of content, which aims to protect children. Phil Willis and Will Gardner discuss its usefulness, alongside exerpts from the Code itself.

Voluntary Code

It may not be working, argues Phil Willis

With 5.5 million mobile phones in the hands of young people, it is small wonder that mobile operating companies see the young people’s market as critical to their future prosperity. Today’s generation of young people are the most technologically advanced in history and most see the mobile phone as an essential item of personal equipment.1
The mobile phone is liberating for young people; it is educative; it offers personal security to the user and comfort to anxious parents. So why am I urging caution on behalf of the All Party Mobile Communications Group in Parliament?

Caution

I accepted the advice of Sir William Stewart, Chairman of the Government’s Health Protection Agency, who urged caution, saying that young children could be more vulnerable to undiscovered effects of mobile phones. The advice that he would not allow his eight year old grandchild to own a mobile phone seemed sensible. Indeed all the mobile operators agreed that they would not market phones to primary age children and even agreed a Code of Practice to back up their commitments.
Despite their best endeavours, one in four children under the age of 10 possesses a phone and at least two companies (Orange and O2) are believed to be entering into agreements to market services that will be extremely attractive to young children. In the case of 02 a link up with Disney would bring Disney content direct to the children’s market.
The companies claim that their products are not aimed at the under 12s, but quite frankly if they believe that young children will not quickly see the attraction of Disney products available to their mobile phone then they underestimate the continuing power of the Disney brand.

Direct marketing?

Should Disney succeed at penetrating directly into the children’s market, every other operator will follow suit, fearful of losing this growing market. The mobile operators may well claim that it is not direct marketing to offer an attractive service that by default happens to appeal to a younger audience; but I doubt others would see it that way.
The Code should be honoured in its spirit by all operators. If that cannot be achieved, regulation by statute will be the only answer. What is more, if the voluntary agreement cannot enforce such simple agreements, what hope has a voluntary agreement to control the ever growing threat of access via the mobile phone to unsuitable internet content?

Reference
1.  See Helen Haste, Joined-up Texting:  the role of mobile phones in young people’s lives (Nestlé Social Research Programme, 2005)

Phil Willis MP chairs the All Party Mobile Communications Group
willisp@parliament.uk