What You Can Do
If you are concerned about your children
accessing adult material from their wireless phones/devices,
consider the following:
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?
Check with your carrier to see what types
of material it offers and what types can be accessed from your
children’s handsets.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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. The FCC offers 6 tips for wireless safety.