WASHINGTON-The wireless industry plans to meet this week to begin work on a wireless content ratings system similar to other entertainment industries.
“We are going to do something. Hopefully by the end of the year, the industry will have adopted a voluntary rating system. We are all in agreement that it is necessary. The feeling is, it is certainly not a problem at this point in time, but before it becomes one, the industry wants to draw up a set of ratings that will let all consumers know the nature of the content,” said John Walls, CTIA vice president of public affairs. “Everyone is very enthusiastic about getting together and coming to terms on appropriate content ratings.”
The Federal Communications Commission hailed news of the planned CTIA meeting to address the topic, noting it can only be a good thing if the industry gets out in front of the issue and makes sure consumers are aware mobile content will soon mean more than talking on a cell phone.
“Are consumers, like parents, aware that when they buy their kids a cell phone, they could have access to this content?” asked John Muleta, chief of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. “Having a rating system is not only about sexual content; it is about violence and age-appropriate content.”
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.
“There is a congressional intent that content providers have to provide means of protecting or verifying the viewer’s ability to see the material,” said Muleta, but he wondered whether carriers realize “they need to have all of these safeguards in place.”
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, give them a credit-card number and the mechanisms should be in place to verify the age and ability to receive the information.
“All of those things still apply; just because they are on a cell phone they still apply. The only difference is are we prepared for the increasing bandwidth?” asked Muleta.
Regulating content on mobile networks was described recently as a “sleeper issue” for 2005.
“One thing that I have noticed recently that we haven’t given a lot of attention to but that is going to come up and force our attention, is content and how we deal with that,” Peter Tenhula, deputy wireless bureau chief, told a gathering of wireless telecommunications lawyers earlier this month.
But if it is a sleeper issue, CTIA seems to be the alarm clock. Indeed, Steve Largent told RCR Wireless News in December that developing a ratings scheme for mobile content was one of his priorities for 2005.
While mobile content is just barely catching on in the United States, where advanced networks are still novel, concerns about mobile 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.
It is the nature of mobile content-the fact that it is untethered-that makes it a bigger challenge than Internet or fixed content, according to a report on self regulation prepared for the European Commission last year by Oxford University.
“The fixed Internet experience has been learned from, but mobile is a more powerful platform for abuse than fixed, and filters do not work properly; they suffer from `Goldilocks syndrome’-too hot on blocking or too cold, never just right,” reads the report.
Deciding what to do about access to adult content is a continuing problem because “adult content distributors and users are regular early adopters of new technologies,” said the Oxford report.
The Oxford Report did not speak too favorably on industry self-regulation.
“A code administered by a trade organization may face legitimacy deficit, and impartiality/independence of adjudication must be defended. Therefore, a dedicated structure is needed, including independent representation, external monitoring of compliance, public accountability and adequate publicity functions,” said Oxford.
The Australia Communications Authority is seeking comment on regulations that would govern how premium content is made available. For example, when the content is adult in nature, the customer would be required to visit a carrier store in person to prove they are at least 18 years old. Comments are due Feb. 25
While the FCC is examining these various models-self vs. government regulation-Muleta believes the current rules developed for the wired world will still apply in a mobile world with pictures.
“We already have a set of regulation in place that is applicable,” said Muleta. “The rules are pretty well developed. It is just making sure that the people who are now getting involved in the wireless platform are aware of them.”
Muleta is doing his part. He spent part of last week at the National Association of Television Programming Executives convention.
“That is weird for a wireless regulator, but I wanted to make sure that the content providers understood the rules,” said Muleta.
