The Rise of Third Generation Phones: The Implications for Child Protection

This article discusses the legal implications of the development of Third Generation (3G) mobile phones with respect to the protection of children from illegal and harmful content. 3G phones will herald the arrival of the truly mobile Internet. People will be able to e-mail, play games, communicate, download and transfer data, and purchase entertainment packages on the move. Everything that is possible via the Internet will be possible via a mobile phone. This phenomenal expansion in the capabilities of the mobile phone offers tremendous opportunities for business, commerce, education, entertainment, government services and law enforcement. However, vulnerable sectors of society—in particular, children—may face a range of dangers from this new technology: bullying, pressurising advertisements, illegal images, harmful or inappropriate images, and predatory paedophiles. The risk to children must not be underestimated, but it must also not be exaggerated. Technical and legal responses to such risks must be appropriate, proportionate, effective and inclusive. There is no ‘magic bullet’ solution; rather an holistic approach must be voluntarily adopted and applied by the mobile phone industry, the Internet industry, law enforcement, government at all levels and the individuals affected such as the children themselves, their parents and their teachers.