DMA briefing on Mobile Age Verification

Mobile age verification provides controls to prevent minors from receiving ‘over 18’ content on their phone.

Mobile age verification was established on a self-regulatory basis across all UK mobile networks in 2004. The principle of these controls are that mobile users must prove that they are over 18 before they can receive content restricted by the MNOs. For the purposes of this agreement, the definition of over 18 is not specific, but rather defined as ‘consistent with standards used by other media’. The agreement does, however, specify chat rooms as content restricted to 18 years plus.

Shortcodes

The primary focus for age verification has been on the shortcodes, where by 69xxx and 89xxx numbers are restricted to age verified phones. For shortcodes, phones are locked by default and age verification MUST be made before content can be provided.

The process of verification varies between each network, but Orange offer a typical method:

The Orange subscriber sends a text to an adult short code this will go through the automatic Age Verification process. If successful the text will be passed on to the user. If the end user is not age verified then they are advised. They can then send a free SMS to receive message explaining they need to call customer services: Pre-Pay users dial 450, Contract users dial 150.

Proof of age is made using a credit card, where a small sum is deducted and then refunded by the network. This process can usually be done through a phone call, WAP or online.

Mobile Internet

The age verification process for the mobile internet differs from operator to operator, where some restrict sites by default, but others have an optional ‘parental lock’:

All MNOs have content filtering for WAP and mobile internet - the system varies depending on the operator:
-
- Vodafone - all content filtered with extensive controls in place by default
- T-Mobile and Virgin - all content filtered
- O2 - content filtering optional as part of parental controls
- 3 - Walled garden - adult content only available as paid content through their portal


The only publicly issued Code of Practice has been from Orange – see their related document ‘UK Code of Practice’.

For more info please see : http://www.txt4ever.com/bulksms.php