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Broadband and mobile operator EE (BT) has today responded to the UK government’s drive to wrap everybody under the age of 18 in cotton wool by becoming the “first major network” to launch a dedicated Smartphone proposition (mobile plans) for U18s, called “Safer SIMs” – part of its commitment toward “being the UK’s best network for families“.
The new plans are designed with network level website content controls, scam call protection, spending caps and “Stay Connected Data” (allows you to stay online after you’ve used up all your data, albeit at a speed of 0.5Mbps).
Safer SIMs plans are available on any smartphone device and are being supported by the option of new in-store online safety appointments with expert trained guides in over 400 EE retail stores who can provide “online safety support and practical guidance to parents and carers, as well as advice on setting-up device level controls“.
The new initiatives come as a new study conducted for EE by Opinium claims to have found that only 52% of parents feel they have the right tools and guidance to manage their child’s smartphone and social media usage, and 78% of children admit they conceal some of their online activity from their parents (aka – privacy).
A total of three new 30-day “Safer” SIM-only plans are due to launch “next month“, which will be tiered with different levels of controls and start from £7 per month.
Safer SIM Plans
Protected Plan: Ideal for the first few years of secondary school, with strict mobile network content controls when accessing websites, unlimited calls/texts with premium numbers, 150 text services and charge to plan blocked, reduced speeds (0.5Mbps) to limit streaming, as well as scam call protect
Guided Plan: Supports growing independence, and ideal for early teenage years with moderate mobile network content controls when accessing websites, 3GB data at 10Mbps, unlimited calls/texts with premium numbers, 150 text services and charge to plan blocked, and scam call protect. A pay-as-you-go version of the Guided Plan will also be available at launch
Trusted Plan: Ideal for older teenagers, with moderate mobile network content controls when accessing websites, 10GB data at 100Mbps, unlimited calls/texts with premium numbers, 150 text services and charge to plan blocked, and scam call protect
EE is also launching The P.H.O.N.E Chat, a content resource created to help parents explain the responsibility of smartphone ownership. This guide has been designed with support from Internet Matters, children, and their parents, to aid conversations about owning a phone, and includes details of how to talk about using their first handset. This is already available online, and in-store in the coming weeks.
Claire Gillies, CEO at BT Group’s Consumer Division, said:
“As the UK’s best network for families, we understand that while smartphones offer many benefits to people, there are also very real risks and challenges, especially for young people. As a parent of a teenager, I too have had to balance the benefits and challenges that come with giving our children their first smartphone.
I am proud that EE has consistently been an industry leader for online safety and today’s announcement is yet another example of our commitment to providing helpful tools and guidance to families. Our new initiatives and resources are there for parents at every stage of their child’s adolescence, so they can safely and confidently make the choice about smartphone usage that is right for them and their family”.
We should point out that the big mobile operators already offer network-level content filtering controls and tech-savvy parents will no doubt already be able to figure out how to setup a Smartphone to be safe for their children, without needing to take out a special mobile plan. But clearly that knowledge isn’t going to be universal and this is where EE’s new plans may help to simplify.
However, we can’t help but think that the government’s root and branch approach to introducing age-based restrictions (verification) across the internet is both needlessly excessive (it’s impacting all sorts or regular services and messaging systems) and easily defeatable (VPN). Not to mention the notion of treating young adults aged 15-18 in roughly the same way as much younger children is a touch insulting for people in that age group.