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Report Ranks U.S. Carriers on Under Aged Users from Mobile Adult Content

Published by Sarah November 5th, 2009 in Abstinence

Article by the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families

http://www.nationalcoalition.org

 

With the growing popularity of sexting and off-deck content, JBB Research is predicting a rise in mobile adult content. The research shows that some of the U.S. carriers are better prepared than others to protect under aged users from sexually explicit mobile content.

The four top wireless carriers ranked in the following order:

  1. Verizon Wireless—offers parental controls for wireless devices and can monitor PSMS (short codes for special telephone numbers often used to purchase internet services like TV voting and ringtones). Verizon also offers turn-by-turn directions on its Family Locator application.
  2. AT&T—offers the same parental controls as Verizon, except for protection for PSMS, which is why it was ranked second.
  3. Sprint Nextel—offers similar parental controls as Verizon and AT&T, but without the ability to monitor music containing explicit lyrics or protection for PSMS. They do offer a Family Locator application which can locate a child on a map using a phone or PC.
  4. T-Mobile—the parental controls and filters available are fairly limited compared with the other three companies and they are the only company not to offer a Family Locator service.

With mobile app stores gaining momentum and the expected rise in all-inclusive data plans offered by the carriers increasing, Julien Blin, Principal Analyst and CEO of JBB Research states, “U.S. carriers need to implement more robust parental controls and true age verification systems to help parents protect their children against mobile adult content.”

What Can a Parent Do?

It is more important than ever for parents to be educated about the mobile devices and services their family uses.

 

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