With children’s charity Childline now providing 71% of its support and counselling sessions to vulnerable young people via email and online chat, the NSPCC is campaigning for proposed changes to new EU regulations which mean the Childline site could be given a zero-rating.
This would mean young people not having to use any of their data allowance or credit on their mobile devices to access the information and advice they may desperately need, mirroring the free and confidential Childline telephone service that has been available to young people since the 1980s.
“We want to ensure that youngsters can access the services they need at all times”
Under existing draft EU guidelines, communication providers can give free access to websites as long as the person has an available data allowance on their mobile device.
However, they are not allowed to zero-rate a specific website if the user has met their data cap and all other applications are blocked, something that the NSPCC is keen to change ahead of new EU guidelines being finalised at the end of August.
Sharon Copsey, NSPCC Regional Head of Service for South West England, tells us: “It is our concern that children and young people can access our services whenever they are feeling vulnerable or in need and are not concerned about how much it would cost them or whether they have enough data or credit.
“We want to ensure that youngsters can access the services they need at all times – and we cannot wait for additional consultations or legislations to take effect.”
Collective support
With many children using Childline’s online services due to self-harm, feeling suicidal and to report online sexual abuse, there have already been efforts from network providers such as 02, who already provide zero-rate access to the NSPCC’s services for their customers.
The NSPCC is currently also in talks with Vodafone, EE, BT, TalkTalk, Three, SKY and Virgin to expand the zero-rate service across its networks.
“It is now vital that the communications industry as a whole is not prevented by EU guidelines in ‘zero rating’ the new Childline website”
Peter Wanless, CEO of the NSPCC, says: “When Childline was founded in 1986 children only used telephones, often telephone boxes, to get in touch. Now almost three-quarters of our counselling sessions are being conducted online.
“To reflect the changing way in which our advice is being delivered and to continue our commitment to provide free and private contact for young people in need it is now vital that the communications industry as a whole is not prevented by EU guidelines in ‘zero rating’ the new Childline website.
“Doing this will send out a strong message to young people across the UK that in 2016 they still have a dedicated and confidential service ready to help them which is accessible 24/7 and absolutely free of charge, be it online or over the phone. O2 are leading the way and we very much hope that other networks will follow suit.”
To find out more you can follow the NSPCC on Twitter: @NSPCC. You can also find out more about Childline and the services they offer on the Childline website.
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