Mobile phone firms cannot prevent people from sending obscene images over their networks. But Vodafone Group's chief operating officer pledged yesterday that its Irish subsidiary would do everything it could to help Garda investigations.
Mr Julian Horn-Smith, the second most senior executive at the world's biggest mobile phone company, said the firm was doing all it could to maintain standards of decency in the services that it provided to customers. But on a visit to the Republic yesterday, Mr Horn-Smith admitted there were things "we are unable to do for purely practical reasons."
"In cases of harassment we will co-operate with the gardaí and anyone involved in this behaviour should know that the records are all kept here... but what we can't do is stop them sending the images if they are consenting adults," he said.
Mr Horn-Smith ruled out monitoring subscribers calls or messaging activity due to data protection issues. He also rejected the suggestion that the mobile phone industry had not done enough to develop filtering software for mobiles compared to the computer industry.
Mr Horn-Smith said a new code of practice drawn up by the mobile phone industry in Britain this week was a global code of practice that would be followed by Vodafone Ireland's operation.
"We discussed this issue at our Plc board meeting earlier this week and it is Vodafone that is taking the lead and trying to introduce these standards. They will apply in Ireland as well."
Many of the provisions in the British code are likely to be contained in a new Irish code being developed by the Irish Cellular Industry Association. In a statement yesterday, the association said this code would probably include: a rating system for content; implementation of a more precise age verification process; measures to combat nuisance or malicious communications; and advice to parents and children.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Meteor said the company would favour the introduction of new legislation that enabled the firm to enforce registration of all pre-paid mobile handsets. Currently, people who use these handsets do not have to register their details with operators. The Meteor spokesman said it couldn't force its customers to register their details without new legislation.