Checklist for parents before buying a mobile phone.
To give you peace of mind when buying a phone for your child we’ve put together a list of questions to ask before you buy.
| 1. Services available on the mobile phone | |
|---|---|
| Questions to ask | Background |
| Ask for information and advice about the phone and the services that are available on it, so that you can ensure your children know how to use it responsibly. | O2 is committed to providing you with information and advice on the safe use of our services. Ask the retail agent when buying the phone what services are available on it and for information and advice on those services. |
| 2. Becoming an authorised contact on your child’s phone | |
| Questions to ask | Background |
| Can I register as an authorised contact on my child’s mobile account? | Yes, you can register as an authorised contact on your child's mobile account. This will give you access to the account records held by O2, including; numbers called, account balances, and the services available on your child's mobile phone. You will also have the ability to make certain changes to the account. |
| How do I register? | Just speak to an agent in any O2 Retail store or download and complete the Internet Safeguards form available on the 'Control web access' section of this site and send it back to us. |
| 3. Internet access | |
| Questions to ask | Background |
| Does this phone have Internet access? | All mobile phones can access the Internet with either our O2 Mobile Internet and O2 Active services. (O2 Active is only available on WAP 1.0 handsets). |
| Are there safeguards to help block Internet content that is potentially harmful for children? | Our Internet Safeguards will prevent your child's phone from accessing inappropriate content on the web. For instance, our 'Parental Controls' service will automatically block access to any inappropriate official O2 Mobile Internet sites and to the wider internet. It will also remove i-mail. On our O2 Active service, we can put a block on your child's phone which will prevent them from accessing O2 Active and the wider internet. This will also block their ability to send and receive picture messages. |
How do I request these safeguards? | 'Parental Controls', can be applied when purchasing a phone and by filling out the necessary form or simply, complete the Internet Safeguards form available on the 'Control Web Access' section of this site and send it back to us. Alternatively if you are an authorised contact already just call our Customer Care team. |
| 4. Premium Rate Texts | |
| Questions to ask | Background |
| What can I do if my child receives an inappropriate premium rate text message? (ie a text from a 5 digit shortcode eg 5XXXX). | It may be because your child has subscribed to a premium rate text service. If this is the case you can unsubscribe by replying to the text with the word STOP. Report any unsolicited premium rate text messages to RegTel at 1850 741 741 |
| 5. Bluetooth-enabled phones | |
| Questions to ask | Background |
| Is this phone ‘Bluetooth-enabled’? | Some phones contain a type of technology called Bluetooth and it’s important to know whether your child’s phone is ‘Bluetooth enabled’. If a phone is Bluetooth enabled, it can be detected by another Bluetooth phone in the area. It can then be contacted by the other Bluetooth phone user. In other words, if Bluetooth is activated on your child’s phone , they may receive an unexpected and unwanted message from an individual who is nearby. |
| How can I turn this off, or set it so the phone is not visible to others? | Switching off the Bluetooth option is safer as it makes the phone ‘invisible’ to other Bluetooth users. Bluetooth can be switched off from your child’s handset. Alternatively call O2 customer care and they will help you out. |
| 6. Bullying and Malicious Communications | |
| Questions to ask | Background |
| What number can I call to report receiving unwanted or abusive calls or messages? | If you are concerned that your child has received a bullying, offensive or harassing message, it is very
important that you encourage them to talk to you. In the case of threatening calls or text messages, you should report these to the Gardai in the first instance. You can also call our Customer Care team for advice. |
| 7. Reporting Abuse/suspected illegal activity | |
| Questions to ask | Background |
| Where do I report abuse of service or suspected illegal material? | If you have any reason to believe that a particular image or video clip you or your child has received might be illegal, you should report it immediately to the Gardai. Suspected illegal images, such as images of child abuse, should be reported to www.hotline.ie or call 1890 610 710. This is a service provided by the Internet Service Providers Association of Ireland (ISPAI) that enables you to report any instances of child pornogaphy on the Internet in a secure and confidential environment. |
| 8. Spam | |
| Questions to ask | Background |
| What action does O2 take to prevent Spam? | ‘Spam’ is any unsolicited and generally unwelcome commercial communication used for direct marketing purposes where the person who receives the message has no existing or prior relationship with the sender of the message. In the case of mobile phone customers, Spam can take the form of unwanted text messages, picture messages and emails. You should contact the relevant authority such as RegTel and the Data Protection Commissioner if you believe your child has received a SPAM message. You can forward suspected Spam messages to O2 free of charge to 50455. After investigation, O2 will report cases of suspected Spam to the appropriate authorities such as Regtel and the Data Protection Commissioner for further investigation |
| Useful numbers | |
| 1747 for Speakeasy customers. 1909 for Pay monthly customers. 1850 601 747 from a landline. Data Protection Commissioner - Lo Call 1890 252231 Hotline.ie (report illegal internet images) - 1890 610 710 Regulator for Premium Rate Services (RegTel) - 1850 741 741 |
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