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UK Mobile Providers Introduce WAP Censorship

Posted by simoniker on from the rude-ringtones dept.

godsmoke writes "UK mobile providers have formed an alliance to block 'inappropriate content' from cell phone users under the age of 18. 'It covers images, video, gambling, games, chatrooms and net access but not premium rate voice and SMS services', says a BBC News article. The Code authorizing the changes is called the 'Code of Practice', and: 'Content with an 18 certificate will only be available when the network operators verify the age of the user'."

5 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. Inflamatory Title by Richard_at_work · · Score: 4, Informative

    They are implementing something on their own before a regulatory body tells them to implement it. Kudos to them. Basically they are implementing on cellphones exactly what a vast number of the public have been calling for in the internet, namely making the place safe for kids, and since pretty much every kid over here in the UK has a cellphone, I think this is going to be seen as a positive step forward. Yes, by all means shout the generic shout "but the parents should supervise the kids", but seriously, wap enabled cellphones are an epidemic with the under 18 population over here, and its trivial for someone to purchase one without a parents knowledge, so its a lot easier to supervise a kid on a PC than it is on one of these.

  2. Re:Question by Loosewire · · Score: 2, Informative

    I read in the metro this morning ( hardly a good source but still) that the service will be switched on as requested by parents - however the bbc doesent mention this so as to its truth (ive emailed orange) ill email you there reply

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  3. You don't want to enable "online grooming" by Goonie · · Score: 3, Informative
    It's the process by which pedophiles hang around in chatrooms and con children into meeting and having sex with them.

    Like all horror stories related to children, the actual number of reported cases is small. However, it does actually occur from time to time according to news reports of specific incidents.

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    Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
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  4. Re:Censorship by Mod+Me+God+Too · · Score: 1, Informative

    'Internet grooming': definition and processes.

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    It is not the commies, the government, the nigger, nor the corporates. It is your paranoia.
  5. BBC Radio 1 by Inda · · Score: 2, Informative

    BBC Radio 1 reported this earlier. One of the final comments was that the operators were concerned about kids telling fibs about their age to get around the censorship.

    Any kid who listened to this now knows they can lie about their age and probably get away with it.

    Well done Radio 1.

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