How can we keep kids safe with their mobiles?

The EU is asking for opinions on how to ensure mobiles are safe for kids to use.

The Commission has launched a consultation into how to cut the risks associated with mobile phone use for minors, including bullying, access to illegal or adult content, the threat of grooming, as well as the high cost to children of using the device.

While some of these threats may be theoretical at the moment, the EC says they still must be studied. An EC consultation paper said: "These dangers may not be widespread yet because the technology is not fully in place, limited numbers of minors own a 3G handset, and mobile content offerings are still expensive. It is still an emerging phenomenon which needs to be followed and accompanied."

The consultation will close in October, by which time the Commission hopes to have input from the mobile industry as well as child safety groups and regulators.

The consultation follows the EC's recent web safety initiative, Safer Internet Day.

The EC is hoping the mobile industry will avoid exacerbating the risks associated with children using mobiles by adopting self regulation, as has become the norm in some markets.

The UK has already adopted some self regulation to stop under-18s from accessing adult content such as porn, gambling and phone chat services. The mobile industry has also appointed a regulator to monitor its performance.

Around a quarter of European children between eight and nine years old have a mobile, while the figure rises to 70 per cent of children aged between 12 and 13. The average age for a UK child to get its first mobile has now fallen to eight.