A law firm has called for action to close loopholes in UK and EU mobile telecommunications law to help protect consumers, and particularly vulnerable groups such as children, from unsolicited messages and promotions ("spam") or access to unsuitable content. Loopholes include:

• Lack of legislation to block pornographic and other potentially unsuitable content, such as spam promotions for on-line gambling and chat rooms, being sent to or accessed by under-age children.


• -Although the Code’s measures include classifying commercial content as unsuitable for under 18s and placing such content behind access controls and requiring age verification, content providers will classify their content themselves.


• Since mobile operators cannot control content offered over the internet, parents have to be pro-active about applying to have internet access filtered.


• Even within the EU, marketers can still send spam to corporate subscribers, including named employees, although privacy laws prohibit sending spam to individual service subscribers.

In response to concerns about Jamster’s advertising and business practices O2 has indicated it has plans for a “clampdown on mobile subscription services” by introducing stringent requirements such as double opt-in, which content providers fear could have a serious impact on firms running legitimate services. The industry is scrambling to sort out something to prevent this…
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--Carriers Should Step Up Adult Content Protections: Yankee Group
--American Family Association Discusses Wireless Porn Protections With FCC Staff