Content standards

Our industry distinguishes between two forms of potentially harmful content:

1. Commercial content – O2 branded, or sold by a third-party provider through commercial agreement with a mobile operator. Mobile operators act as the delivery and access provider and exercise an element of commercial control over the content. This includes pictures, video clips, games, music, sounds and betting services.
   
2. Internet content – where moblile operators provide only the connection. This content is offered via the internet and mobile operators have no commercial or contractual control over it.

One of the commitments in the UK Code of Practice for the self-regulation of new forms of content on mobiles was for mobile operators to appoint an independent classification body to provide a framework for classifying commercial content that is unsuitable for under-18s.

The Independent Mobile Classification Body (IMCB) – see www.imcb.org.uk – publishes and maintains a classification framework regarding which content should be 18-rated, and O2 ensures that this is clearly labelled and not accessible without age verification. It is a subsidiary of ICSTIS, the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services.

O2 Ireland has worked closely with other mobile operators in Ireland to establish a similar independent classification body in Ireland, in advance of moves by third-party providers to introduce over-18 commercial content. 

Addressing our responsibilities

We do not publish 18-classification content services under our own brand, but we allow commercial partners to bring these only to appropriate, consenting audiences.

We insist that our commercial partners ensure that these services are only available to customers who have first proved they are 18 or older. During the year, we have also increased our efforts to monitor and control the content provided by third party service providers. 

O2 is a member of the IWF (Internet Watch Foundation) and sits on its Funding Council. The Internet Watch Foundation undertakes to investigate internet sites internationally that contain potentially illegal content, such as child pornography.

All material that is assessed as illegal by the Internet Watch Foundation is passed to the police via the National Criminal Intelligence Service. Internet and mobile internet users that become aware of material they believe to be illegal can submit an online report to http://www.iwf.org.uk/.

O2 Ireland is affiliated to the country’s www.hotline.ie service, operated by the Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland and supervised by the Government’s Internet Advisory Board. The main goal of the board is to combat child pornography.

During the year, under the auspices of the GSM Association, O2 joined with 15 of the world’s leading mobile phone operators to sign a new code of practice that commits us together to minimise spam sent via text and picture messages.

Content standards

Our goal is to be a trusted operator in all aspects of content delivery and control.

During the year, our objective was to increase customers’ awareness of our customers of the responsible use of mobile phones.

Our target was to increase the profile of child-protection information and the capabilities of O2 stores to inform customers effectively about responsible use.

O2 UK’s parental control and age-verification capabilities are provided by an application called Shield. Shield training was revised and re-issued to all O2 retail stores in May 2005.

Where there is a commercial agreement between O2 and a content provider, customers must pass through the age-verification process to gain access to 18 classification content.

The parental control function is designed to help parents restrict internet access on a child’s O2 mobile. When parental control is turned on, customers can access only content that is suitable for all ages.

We have established agreements with our suppliers for sites deemed appropriate only for those over 18, which require them to comply with industry codes of practice.

In 2005/06, in the UK, we carried out a mystery-shopping programme to establish how well employees in retail stores and O2’s customer service centres understand our policies and procedures to protect young people from the potential hazards of mobile content.

This effort has prepared us for an awareness raising initiative that is planned to take place during 2006.

We have given each of our businesses – in the UK, Germany, Ireland and the Isle of Man - the lead role in making sure responsible practices are being applied across our operations. They are each closest to our customers and best placed to respond to people’s needs and concerns.