Owning a computer or Playstation is a must for children nowadays but having a mobile phone is just as fashionable, as EU data prove.
Statistics show that, over the past few years, the use of mobile phones by children and young people rose dramatically, as have the capabilities of the gadget. It is calculated that 70 per cent of European youngsters aged 12-13 years and 23 per cent of children aged 8-9 years own a mobile phone.
In view of the upsurge in the usage of mobile phones among children and the capabilities such devices possess, such as access to the internet, the European Commission has initiated a consultation process to establish whether the sector should be better regulated in order to protect children.
According to Commissioner Viviane Reding, responsible for the information society, mobile phones have become part of daily life not only for adults but also for teenagers and, increasingly, for children.
"Mobile communication is a great opportunity for the development of Europe's economies and societies. However, at the same time, the protection of minors needs to be guaranteed. In my view, protection of minors in the case of mobile communications is the responsibility of all actors: industry, child safety associations and public bodies. The more efficient self-regulation can become, the less the need for state intervention," she said during the launch of the consultation process that will remain open until mid-October.
The initiative addresses issues linked to content and behaviour, such as access to harmful or illegal content, bullying through, for example, the distribution of abusive or compromising messages and photos among children, grooming by strangers "making friends" with children with a view to meeting them, risks to the privacy of children, and the risk of unexpectedly high expense.
The consultation aims to gather factual information and views from different stakeholders on the types of risks faced by children when making use of mobile content services, the technical and regulatory solutions that exist and the scope for further action, in particular at European level.
The Commission said it would like the debate to lead to the kind of self-regulation that is already developing in some member states.
Child safety, parent and consumer organisations, mobile network operators, content providers, handset and network manufacturers, and regulators are all invited to give their thoughts to the Commission until October 16.