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Background
Increasingly, people of all ages are using
wireless phones and devices for communicating, for information
gathering, and for entertainment – in all types of locations. And,
as new wireless technologies are introduced, so too are new and
expanded ways to get information and be entertained via your
wireless phone or device.
But with the benefits of wireless technology
comes a potential harm: the growing use of wireless phones and
devices by children affords them the opportunity to access adult
material that may be inappropriate for them.
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Controlling Access to Adult Material
Adult material is available through numerous sources,
including magazines, television, movies, songs, telephones, gaming systems, and
the Internet.
Parents and caretakers concerned about children accessing
inappropriate material via wireless phones and devices may want to know more
about the type of material available and how to limit access to that content.
Wireless carriers may use voluntary guidelines to classify
content that they provide over wireless handsets. (See “Wireless
Industry Guidelines”).
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What to Know
Be aware of the types of material that
children can access via their wireless phones. The following types
of material can be downloaded on many wireless phones and devices,
and may include content inappropriate for children:
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Images, such as background “wallpaper” for
the phone screen;
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Games, including some games that are also
available for gaming systems, such as Playstation© or Xbox©;
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Music and songs, including ring tones,
ringback tones, and downloads of full songs; and
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Video, including certain television shows,
movies, and music videos, as well as video programming specially
made for, and only available on, wireless phones.
In addition, wireless phones and devices can
be used to access:
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Web sites. Because of the small screens and
limited keypads on wireless handsets, it’s often difficult or
impossible for you to browse the entire Web. Instead, many
wireless carriers offer access to a pre-set list of
commonly-used Web sites, such as Yahoo!© and ESPN©, that have
been designed for viewing on a wireless handset. You should be
aware, however, that most smartphones and personal digital
assistants (PDAs), including the Sidekick©, Blackberry©, iPAQ©,
and Treo© models, have larger screens and full keypads that do
allow users to surf the entire Web.
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Text, photo, and video messages. Many
wireless phones and devices can also be used to exchange
messages, including text and instant messages, as well as photos
and videos. Your children can send messages to other wireless
phone users or to e-mail addresses, and receive them on their
wireless devices. In addition, text messaging technology can be
used to request and receive specific material from various
sources, such as Web sites. For instance, mobile users can send
a message to a 5-digit “short code” requesting certain
information, such as a sports score, a weather forecast, or
entertainment content, and the information will then be sent
directly to the wireless phone/device.
The types of applications and wireless
content available to you and your children varies among wireless
carriers. Different carriers offer different packages available
for download.
Opportunities for purchasing applications and
content also vary by carrier. For instance, some carriers sell
content on a per-application basis (e.g., $4.99 to download a
particular game, or $0.99 to download a particular wallpaper
image), and these applications can often be purchased and
downloaded directly from wireless handsets.
On the other hand, some applications may be
available on an unlimited use basis for a flat monthly fee, and
you must subscribe to those packages through your carrier prior to
downloading the material.
Finally, the type of wireless content
available to you depends on the handset that you own. Newer, more
advanced handsets are often capable of accessing a wider range of
material, such as video programming and high-resolution games.
What You Can Do
If you are concerned about your children
accessing adult material from their wireless phones/devices,
consider the following:
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Monitor how your children are using their
wireless phones or other wireless devices. For example, are they
using them mainly for talking, or are they using them for
messaging, taking photos and downloading applications?
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Check with your carrier to see what types
of material it offers and what types can be accessed from your
children’s handsets.
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Check with your carrier to see if there are
ways to prevent access to and downloading of content that may
contain inappropriate material and that is available on a
per-use or per-application basis (e.g., games, wall paper
images, songs).
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Monitor your bill. Any content purchases
made from a wireless phone should appear on your monthly bill,
so check your bill to see if any purchases have been made from
your children’s phones/devices. The FCC requires that the
descriptions of charges on wireless carrier bills be full,
clear, non-deceptive, and in plain language.
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Check with your carrier to see what
handsets are available for your children that are not capable of
accessing advanced applications that may contain adult material.
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Check with your carrier to see whether
subscriptions to wireless data or wireless Internet packages
also offer access to adult material on your children’s phone.
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Visit
http://www.wiredsafety.org/, the Web site of an organization
described as an online safety, education, and help group,
including helping parents keep online pornography away from
their kids.
Wireless Industry Guidelines
CTIA—The Wireless Association® has voluntary
guidelines for wireless carriers to use in classifying content
that they provide directly over wireless handsets. These voluntary
guidelines apply only to content that you purchase from your
wireless carrier, either on a one-time use or download basis, or
as part of a package with a monthly fee such as ring tones,
wallpaper, games, music, video clips, or TV shows. Content that is
generated or owned by a wireless user, such as text messages,
instant messages, email (through chat rooms, message boards, etc.)
and picture mail is not included in the wireless carrier’s content
classification system. Also, content that is accessed by surfing
the Internet on a wireless handset is not currently included in
the classification system. The guidelines urge carriers to provide
separate Web filtering software for Web browsing services.
Wireless carriers choosing to follow these
voluntary guidelines agree to use at least two content ratings:
(1) Generally Accessible or available
to consumers of all ages; and
(2) Restricted or accessible only to
those age 18 and older or to those younger than 18 years old, when
specifically authorized by a parent or guardian. The Restricted
ratings system generally is based on or uses criteria under
existing ratings systems for movies, television, music, and games.
The FCC encourages industry efforts to
address consumer concerns about access to content inappropriate
for children, but neither endorses nor took part in developing
these particular guidelines. These guidelines are voluntary, do
not have the force of FCC rules, and the FCC cannot respond to
complaints or take enforcement action for any violations of the
guidelines. You can find out more about the guidelines and the
participating wireless carriers by visiting
www.ctia.org, calling CTIA at (202) 785-0081, or writing to
CTIA, 1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036.
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For More Information
For general information on this and other
telecommunications-related issues, you may contact the FCC’s Consumer &
Governmental Affairs Bureau in the following ways:
Internet at www.fcc.gov/cgb
Consumer Center:
1-888-CALL-FCC
(1-888-225-5322) voice
1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY
Mail:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554.
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Federal Communications Commission
