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The European Framework for Safer Mobile Use- Pricewaterhouse Coopers implementation report
16 April 2009- Two years on from the introduction of the European Framework for Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children, Pricewaterhouse Coopers published a report summarising the status of its implementation in the EU. The report shows that the Framework has been transposed into codes of conduct in 22 EU Member States and that mobile operator signatories have taken substantial action to implement these codes alongside other voluntary activities. Consequently around 580 million mobile customers, representing 96% of all EU mobile subscriptions, currently benefit from the self-regulatory initiative.
- The areas showing the highest level of compliance- both in terms of transposition into codes of conduct and practical implementation by operators- are those related to the introduction of access control mechanisms for mobile operators' own and third-party commercial content and the classification of such content.
- Areas of lower compliance- in the codes and on the ground- include some of the Framework recommendations linked to raising awareness about safer mobile use and fighting illegal child abuse content on mobile community products and the internet. Going forward, GSMA Europe and participating mobile operators will put a special focus on these two areas with a view to ensuring 100% compliance.
The full report can be downloaded here.
GSMA Europe holds workshop to share best practice
With a view to achieving faster and qualitatively better implementation of the European Framework for Safer Mobile Use across the EU, GSMA Europe had organised an internal workshop for signatory mobile operators on 10 July 2008 in Brussels.
The objective of the event was to share good practice and to provide guidelines on implementation, particularly to signatories from EU Member States where no measures were in place prior to the roll-out of self-regulatory codes of conduct on safer mobile use under the European framework.
The four workshop sessions covered access control mechanisms, awareness-raising and education, classification of commercial content, and fighting illegal content on mobile community products and the Internet. The event was well attended by technical, marketing and PR experts from across Europe and speakers' presentations were followed by a lively Q&A session with the audience.
Download the agenda and presentations (ZIP, 8.2mb)
Child Safety and New Technologies Seminar
On 2 April 2008, MEP Ruth Hieronymi hosted GSME's Child Safety and New Technologies Seminar in Brussels.
The purpose of the event was to discuss industry self-regulation in the area of children's use of mobile and internet technologies with representatives of EU institutions and children's NGOs. The following industry initiatives were presented:
- The European Framework for Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children
- The Pan European Industry Education Partnership
- The Mobile Alliance Against Child Sexual Abuse Content.
Interventions were also made by the European Commission and a children's NGO.
Download the agenda and presentations
GSME issued a press release on the implemenatation of the European Framework for Safer Mobile Use in conjunction with the seminar. Go to press release.
GSME submits implementation report to the European Commission
GSM Europe has been monitoring the implementation process and reporting to the European Commission on the progress achieved. At the beginning of March 2008, GSME submitted a report on the implementation of the Framework one year after the initial signature of the agreement.
A report submitted to the European Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding at the beginning of March 2008 sets out the key achievements since February 2007.
- Nine additional companies have signed the Framework, making a total of 24 industry signatories covering all 27 Member States of the EU;
- Codes of conduct have now been signed by mobile operators in Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain- Member States where no codes of conduct were previously in place;
- Self-regulatory codes now cover 21 Member States of the EU;
- The industry signatories in these Member States serve around 550 million customers, which represents 96% of all EU mobile customers.
Download the report now (PDF).
Members of the European Parliament discuss safer mobile use with GSM Europe
On
26 June 2007, Catherine Trautmann MEP hosted GSM Europe’s breakfast discussion "Child
Safety and Mobile Phones" at the European Parliament in Brussels. The
aim of this event was to promote and to discuss the European Framework
for Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children, a self-regulatory
initiative signed by mobile operators and content providers on 6 February
2007.
The breakfast was attended by MEPs from across a range of European Parliament committees, including Mary Honeyball, Roger Helmer, Christel Schaldemose, Pia Elda Locatelli, Bill Newton Dunn and Satu Hassi. Overall, the event facilitated a constructive debate on safer mobile use amongst MEPs, the European Commission, the non-governmental sector and industry. The European Commission and NGOs praised the self-regulatory approach taken by GSME members and looked forward to the progress report on implementing the European Framework in February 2008.
Speeches were given by:
- Catherine Trautmann, Vice-Chair ITRE
- Richard Swetenham, Head of Unit, DG INFSO
- Allison Murray, Corporate Responsibility Manager, T-Mobile UK
- John Carr, Secretary, Children's Charities' Coalition for Internet Safety (CHIS)
- Markus Berger-de Leon, Managing Director, Jamba! GmbH
- Maria Jose Cantarino, Telefonica Spain