Japanese cell phone firms are introducing Internet filtering software for cell phones to protect children from pornographic and other harmful sites.
Many parents find it more difficult to control Internet content on children's cell phones than on home computers, and police have welcomed the idea of a filtering function, saying it would help prevent crime, the Mainichi Shimbun reported Thursday.
Filtering programs to restrict content on computers used by children are already on the market in Japan. Functions have been introduced for cell phones enabling connections to be made only to children's sites.
Recently, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government enacted an ordinance requiring all Internet service providers to establish filtering services, becoming the first prefecture in Japan to issue such an order. The ordinance is due to come into effect next month.
In July, Japan's largest cell phone company, NTT DoCoMo, introduced a function preventing cell-phone access to sites relaying nude images, information on the sale of drugs and other illegal activities.
Another firm is planning to introduce a similar service in October.
"The move has great significance, and this will probably spread nationwide," Akio Kokubu, vice president of the Internet Association Japan, said.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
