Parents demand control over text messaging

cnt tlk, mum's listnin 2 my txtz

More than 90 per cent of parents want more control over their sprog's texting habits, and would buy more phones if they had it.

Messaging company Acision spoke to 1000 mobile phone users and established that parents would be happy to equip their ankle-biters with mobile phones at an even younger age, if only they had more control over the kind of person with whom they were communicating.

It's national anti-bullying week, so an ideal opportunity to remind network operators that if they purchase servers from Acision then they could offer parents the ability to blacklist numbers (requested by 74 per cent of parents). That would, in turn, enable operators to target even younger customers through their parents.

But blacklisting isn't just for children: 83 per cent of adults who've been bullied over their mobile phone would like to be able to blacklist numbers, and number-blocking applications regularly top the list of most-popular smartphone apps.

Which makes it ironic that the only MVNO to offer that kind of parental control, Disney Mobile, shut down after being unable to generate enough operator interest.

Some operators will already block numbers in response to bullying, but one can't help wondering if parents are really suitable custodians of such power: who wouldn't want to run through a list of one's children's friends removing those of whom one doesn't approve? ®