ACTIVITIES :: Safer Internet Programme ::Self-regulation:: Mobile phones

European Framework for safer mobile use by younger teenagers and children

Signature of the Framework

On Safer Internet Day 6 February 2007, leading mobile operators and content providers signed a European Framework for Safer Mobile use by younger teenagers and children.

The Framework describes principles and measures that the signatories committed to implementing on the national level throughout Europe by February 2008, including:

access control for adult content;
awareness-raising campaigns for parents and children;
the classification of commercial content according to national standards of decency and appropriateness;
the fight against illegal content on mobiles.

See the press pack

Implementation of the Framework

2010 implementation report

Download GSM Europe executive summary report

Download national implementation reports

See European Commission press release

In June 2010, GSM Europe has published a third implementation report of the European Framework for Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children. This review shows that 91 companies are putting in place at national level the measures agreed in a Europe-wide voluntary agreement brokered by the European Commission in 2007. National self-regulatory codes based on the European framework now exist in 25 Member States, which means that 96% of all EU mobile subscribers are benefitting from this agreement.

The GSM Europe report includes an executive summary and 24 national reports that look at the way signatories have implemented the national codes based on the European Framework.

The Commission has issued a press release in which it welcomes the report and calls for more effort to raise parents' awareness.

2009 implementation report

In April 2009, GSM Europe has published the second implementation report of the European Framework for Safer Mobile use by Younger Teenagers and Children. The report shows that the Framework has been transposed into codes of conduct in 22 EU Member States. These apply 90% of the European code. Only the Belgian code differs widely, and national codes still need to be signed in Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, and Luxembourg.

The Commission has issued a press release to call for mobile operators to continue to improve child safety policies.

2008 implementation report

In March 2008 GSM Europe had published a first implementation report ( 500KB) of the framework. According to this report, national measures to ensure safer mobile use had been adopted in most Member States. See more details on the national measures on the GSMEurope website on safer mobile use.

As an offspring of the European initiative, the industry has announced in April 2008 the launch of www.teachtoday.eu. The website provides teachers and educators with online resources that help them understand the new technologies better.

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Steps leading to the adoption of the Framework

The Safer Internet Programme has focused on child safety and mobile phones since 2005, when the debate was raised at European level through the Safer Internet Forum. In July 2006, the Programme launched a public consultation on child safety and mobile phones. The results of the public consultation have been summarized and a report was also published on Safer Internet Day. The European Framework for Safer mobile use by younger teenagers and children responds to many of the concerns expressed in the replies to the public consultation.

The European Framework is the result of discussions held in a High Level Group set up by Commissioner Reding in September 2006.

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