Mobile phone bullying of children is still a major problem and mobile phone operators are not doing enough to tackle it, according to Fine Gael Communications Spokesman, Simon Coveney TD (pictured).
The comments were make to representative from the major mobile operators were at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources where Deputy Coveney questioned them on what they are doing to combat the serious problem of mobile phone and cyber bullying amongst children and teenagers.
Coveney said, “Cyber-bullying is still a major problem and some mobile phone operators are simply not doing enough to tackle it. This is the second time the Oireachtas Committee has questioned mobile operators on this issue. While some progress has been made to provide products and solutions for parents and children we need to keep mobile operators under pressure to produce technical solutions.
“Some operators are doing better than others. 3 has launched a ‘kids safe’ product which is the most impressive market response to date allowing parents to choose up to 200 numbers that can access a phone through text and voice as well as managing internet access on the phone. O2 have launched a ‘block it’ service which allows teenagers and parents to block texts from certain numbers but they will not allow numbers to be blocked. While Vodafone and Meteor are promising number blocking technical solutions in the future they have no product available to market.
“It is not acceptable that all operators are not providing well resourced technical solutions to protect children from cyber-bullying. I will continue to pressurise all operators to provide improved and new solutions. If the industry doesn’t respond with the urgency required we as legislators must force them to do so. Parents need real choice when purchasing a mobile phone and should be offered the kind of product that ‘kids safe’ offers as a matter of course when entering a mobile phone shop.
“The operators will be back before the Committee in the autumn to provide further updates on progress in this area.”
Subscribers 0
Fans 0
Followers 0
Followers