The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has backed a proposal that would see users forced to request permission from their mobile phone carrier to access premium SMS and multimedia messaging services.
The proposal, which is currently being debated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, follows reports from the ACCC regarding complaints about premium content.
”Vulnerable consumers such as minors would stand to benefit the most from a default barring model,” the ACCC said in its submission to ACMA.
”Default barring would ensure that account holders (often parents) were required to make a clear decision” to allow premium content services.
Another proposal is also under consideration that would see users “opt-in” to a service, under which they would request to have their phones be blocked from accessing premium content.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
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