Mobile phones risk to children, say EU

CHILDREN can be abused, bullied, groomed and robbed through their mobile phones, it emerged yesterday.

With up to three-quarters of 12-year-old children having their own mobile phones, safety risks are increasing, according to the European Union.

The EU wants to guarantee that young people are protected from the dangers.

Commissioner Viviane Reding, launching the consultation process yesterday, said: “Mobile phones can help keep children safe but they can also expose them to real harm. We must devise ways of keeping them safe.”

The need to do this is becoming more urgent with the advent of 3G phones, capable of video messaging and downloading videos.

This increases the danger of children accessing porn sites, or being groomed by paedophiles.

Parents, consumer groups, mobile network operators and others involved in the industry are being invited to submit their opinions on what needs to be done before mid-October.

They want to provoke a debate across Europe that will lead to the kind of self-regulation which is already developing in a number of countries.

The Irish Cellular Industry Association has published a parents’ guide to mobile phones on www.icia.ie.

To contribute to the safe mobiles for children plan contact www.ec.europa.eu/saferinternet. Or report instances of child porn to www.hotline.ie