Telefónica Public Policy & Telefónica España Regulatory teams
The four Spanish mobile operators (Orange, Telefónica, Vodafone and Yoigo), together with the Spanish NGO Protégeles, presented yesterday in the Headquarters of the European Commission in Madrid the mobile app “Protect the childhood” for smart phones and tablets. This app will allow any Internet user to report in a direct, anonymous and easy way any content related to sexual abuse to minors that has been found in the Internet while browsing on mobile devices.
As announced on our blog on February 2011, the four Spanish operators included on their websites early last year a single button to report this kind of content and, according to the announced plan, they have now implemented it on their smart phones and tablets too.
In response to a call from Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, NeelieKroes, to ICT manufacturers and operators to make the internet a better place for kids, the four operators joined in 2011 the CEO “Coalition to make the Internet a better place for kids”. Kroes proposed that the Coalition should provide pragmatic solutions and commit to deliver on five specific actions. With this app, the four operators have targeted the 1st action set in the call: Simple and robust reporting tools for users. This innovative solution not only highlights the commitment that these operators have to online child protection but also their pioneering role in Europe.
The app directly and anonymously connects with the hotline promoted by the European Commission in Spain: www.protegeles.com. The app can be downloaded free of charge in app stores and from the Protégeles Webpage.
Press release
