WASHINGTON-Public-interest groups interested in getting the attention of the Federal Communications Commission should take a hint from the American Family Association, which scored met with eight key staffers from the FCC’s Wireless Telecom Bureau and two other family-interest groups-after sending nearly 800,000 e-mails to the agency.
“Our members were asked to contact the FCC and ask them to do something to protect children from porn on cell phones,” Randy Sharp, AFA director of special projects, told RCR Wireless News, noting that 186,000 e-mails from AFA members were sent to each of the commissioners-nearly 800,000 total e-mails. “As a result of those e-mails, the FCC contacted us asking us to come in.”
Sharp said AFA’s concern is “this is a new media unlike TV, unlike computers, that are in homes where parents can monitor their use. All of the kids are going to have cell phones that can download graphic images.”
While mobile content is just barely catching on in the United States, where advanced networks are still novel, concerns about the content have been permeating around the world for several years.
At first the concerns revolved around spam, but now have shifted to protecting children from mobile porn.
Earlier this year John Muleta, former chief of the wireless bureau, told RCR Wireless News that wireless carriers need to be aware that there are rules in place regarding under what contexts certain content can be delivered. These rules date back to the last century when access to sexually explicit content became available over wired phones.
The wired world took care of this by creating 1-900 numbers that then required age verification. Customers could block access to 1-900 numbers, thus allowing parents to protect their children.
Today, in theory someone can call a 900 number from a cell phone, provide a credit-card number and the mechanisms should be in place to verify the age and ability of the cardholder to receive the information.
It is unclear what the FCC officials told AFA and representatives of the Family Research Council and Morality in Media during the May 9 meeting. Another meeting with FCC staff and the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Family is scheduled shortly, said Sharp.
“AFA requested to meet with the wireless bureau. The bureau set up the meeting to hear their concerns about adult content on mobile devices that many of their members have expressed in e-mails to the FCC,” said Meribeth McCarrick, associate director of the FCC’s Office of Media Relations.
Meanwhile CTIA continues to develop a content rating system that will allow for age-appropriate blocking.
“The Mobile Content Action Team is moving forward to develop not only the classification system but also systems to filter content through age-verification mechanisms,” said Joseph Farren, CTIA director of public affairs.
Sharp said he is encouraged by CTIA’s efforts, but worries that 10 years from now the marketing incentive for carriers may mean a loosening of any rating system.
“TV cannot regulate itself. It has only gotten nastier. Industry self-regulation is half-hearted,” said Sharp. “What can the FCC do under its authority?”
