Act now on mobile porn, Yankee urges

The Yankee Group is advising wireless carriers to act quickly to develop safeguards to protect minor customers from adult content, in order to preempt action by the Federal Communications Commission and state regulators.

The consulting firm today issued an advisory warning wireless service providers that government-imposed filtering schemes may be expensive and unwieldy, especially if they are imposed on a state-by-state basis.

The wireless industry is collectively moving to develop a content rating system, similar to what video game-makers have developed, said Yankee Group Analyst Adam Zawel, but that's only the first step.

"What we are saying is that individual wireless operators have to be ready to move quickly to have technology solutions for parents," he said. "Right now, most of the people who would complain about this don't know what's going on. Once the industry starts making noise, there will actually be a dangerous period of time, when wireless operators will have to be ready to offer something more sophisticated than just giving kids voice-only phones."

Yankee Group estimates that the market for adult content over mobile phones will hit $192 million by 2009.

Today, most mobile phone content is pre-packaged and delivered by the operators, Zawel said, but of the content directly accessed by browsers over mobile phones, about half is adult content.

"It's just a matter of time before the right person--or the wrong person, depending on your point of view, sees their child accessing adult content over a mobile phone," he said.

Of available options, Yankee Group is advising wireless operators to invest in filtering or parental control solutions, and to consider creating a "child profile" that a guardian can administer to offer comprehensive protection.

The company also said it expects at least one wireless operator to step forward as a market leader on this issue. That would put pressure on other wireless operators to also provide solutions.