EE has set up a free SMS service to support parents against online safety concerns.
As part of this, the operator has launched ‘Set Up Safe’, which allows parents to set up their child’s phone with safety features.
It comes after EE research revealed one in four parents’ said their biggest worry as lockdown eases, is keeping their children safe online.
The service is available for all pay monthly customers and includes a range of settings.
Parents will be able to block adult content, set spend caps, prevent charges to bills and also block calls and texts to premium numbers.
The lockdown has increased parents’ anxiety over their children’s online safety, according to the survey.
The report found that a quarter of parents said their child uses their phone at least once every half an hour.
While 35 per cent of parents expect usage to increase as lockdown eases.
This latest service has been developed alongside not-for-profit charity Internet Matters, which specialise in online safety.
Parents can select preferences option by texting ‘Set Up Safe’ to 150 from any EE device. EE will then automatically apply these to the device to safely set up the phone.
Internet Matters CEO Carolyn Bunting said: “While the connected world provides huge benefits to young people, there are undoubtedly risks, and therefore technical tools such as EE’s Set Up Safe go a long way to stop children seeing inappropriate content or having unwanted contact.
EE consumer corporate affairs director Mat Sears added: “By providing this new guidance and support to parents, we’re hoping to ease some of these anxieties about online safety and lighten the load, by giving parents the confidence and understanding needed to help children enjoy a safe online experience.”
