July 2006
Make sure that you ask your mobile operator these questions when purchasing a phone so that you can ensure you have the tools and support in place to help protect your child from potentially harmful content and contact.
You can now access the Internet on most mobile phones and whilst this access brings a world of incredible opportunities in terms of communication, interaction and entertainment, there are certain potential risks to children posed via the Internet. These risks include accessing potentially harmful content, such as pornography, possible dangerous contact with strangers in chatrooms and commercial pressures like spam and intrusive advertising.
The UK Mobile Operators have recognised these risks and have taken steps to help you protect your child from potentially harmful content accessible via your mobile phone. There are also things you can do to block premium rate calls and texts.
This guide (below) written by children’s internet charity, Childnet International, gives you a
checklist of important questions to ask your Mobile Operator
when purchasing a mobile phone so that you can ensure you have the tools and support to help protect children and make sure they get the most out of using their mobile phones safely.
Download Childnet’s ‘Checklist for Parents’ on mobile phones
(488kb)
This guide focuses on what your operator can do to support parents, and does not address other relevant issues in relation to children and mobile phones, such as advice on the safe and responsible use of mobiles, or the health discussion around children’s use of mobile phones. For more information and advice on recognising the potential risks and safe and responsible use of mobiles, see
www.chatdanger.com/mobiles
. For more information on mobile phones and children’s health, then please look at the Department of Health site,
www.dh.gov.uk
.
