European mobile operators are making good progress in protecting children...

European mobile operators are making good progress in protecting children from unsuitable content on mobile phones, the GSM Association Europe said Wednesday. The sector developed several years ago and with European Commission endorsement a strategy for safer mobile use by younger teenagers and children that covers classification of commercial content, access control mechanisms, education and awareness-raising and fighting illegal content. As of this month, 83 mobile companies have put the framework in place through national codes of conduct, the GSMA said. Eight more operators have signed up, it said, meaning 96 percent of all EU mobile subscribers benefit. A review of the program found a high level of compliance, it said. Many national code requirements go beyond the scope of the operators’ agreement, showing their willingness to “go the extra mile” to encourage safe and responsible phone use, it said. Child protection bodies said the codes are playing a key role in getting operators to engage with each other and nongovernmental organizations to make the mobile environment more secure, the GSMA said. While the companies’ work so far is appreciated, there’s an expectation they can do more given the emergence of fast-developing technologies, it said. Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes welcomed the report but said operators must raise parents’ awareness of new potential risks children face when using smart phones, such as easier access to adult material online. “Parents are often not as tuned into the latest developments in mobile phones as the younger generation,” she said.