Crisp, the online child protection technology specialist, has established a partnership with AdaptiveMobile to offer its next generation anti-grooming software to mobile phone network providers.
AdaptiveMobile, provider of mobile subscriber protection for enterprises and individuals, has added Crisp's anti-grooming technology to its offering to further protect young people increasingly engaged in Internet-based conversations via mobile phone handsets.
The addition of Crisp's technology to AdaptiveMobile's portfolio will enable mobile operators to expand the social networking capabilities of their networks whilst delivering a more responsible offering to customers.
By the age of 15 more than 90 percent of children own a mobile and 23 percent of three to six-year-olds use a mobile phone. Mobile internet use has also seen a steep increase since 2003 with 21 percent accessing the internet on a mobile phone or PDA, which is up from 5 percent five years ago.
Crisp's technology will build upon AdaptiveMobile's existing Inappropriate Content and Parental Control systems. AdaptiveMobile provide the ability to control inappropriate access SMS, MMS, email, IM, web and WAP services.
Crisp's technology does not restrict Internet access, but uses an approach to identify potentially-inappropriate instant messenger and social-network conversations, which can put young people at risk from online predators. Crisp makes sure parents are aware of unsuitable relationships while still giving children their online privacy. Parents are only alerted to dangerous relationships via SMS text messages.
Andrew Lintell, CEO of Crisp Thinking, said: "The opportunities for online conversation have increased dramatically as advanced mobile phone technology is offering similar quality Internet access to a home PC or laptop. Quite simply, this means a device that may have been bought by parents to provide extra security could in fact offer abusers a direct link to children. Online groomers aim to isolate their victims and normalise their actions. These tactics can be even more effective when a young person is using a device to communicate in more private and remote locations than any PC.
"Crisp's technology goes so much further than website ‘blocking and locking'. Without taking away young people's freedom to explore the Internet, their parents can be safe in the knowledge that our systems are keeping an eye on who they are talking to, and more importantly, what is being said."
Lorcan Burke, CEO of AdaptiveMobile, said: "We have been providing per user controls to a number of operators and with the growth of Mobile IM it has been important for us to find a solution to the growing dangers of grooming using mobile platforms. The introduction of Crisp's technology to the AdaptiveMobile solution, gives Mobile Network Operators the opportunity to dramatically increase the level of safety offered to their younger users.
"It is important to realise that the busiest network time for phones owned by children is 10pm, which is generally when they have gone to bed. This fact alone demonstrates how exposed young people are to potential threats. Crisp's technology will play a major role in preventing unscrupulous and calculated predators establishing any kind of relationship with our children."