Operators to face Adult Content Restrictions

The Australian communications minister Helen Coonan plans to introduce to parliament legislation to extend the current safeguards that apply to content delivered over the internet or television to content delivered over convergent devices such as mobile phones.

This will include prohibition of content rated X18+ and above, as well as requirements for consumer advice and age-restrictions on access to content suited only to adults. This has impact across the board as for most people the internet is seen to be ‘open’ and attempts to block porn are like trying to plug holes in a leaking dam. Operators have also argued they should be treated like ISP’s and can’t be held responsible for what customers do with their phones
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Manage a diverse range of handsets, don’t just stop selling them

It seems only yesterday that operators were switching off their analogue mobile networks, yet now its the turn of the retailer to make to turn off the switch. Online retail brand Dixon’s reports they will stop selling analogue radios and that the death is imminent also for portable stereos and CD players. I guess the portable tapeplayer and VHS are already ‘dead’ by their reckoning. For mobile operators, the problem is confounded by the need to actually support all this old tech stuff.

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