Ofcom publishes guidance about 'small print' charges

Regulator Ofcom has published guidance that tells communications providers how it thinks the law - the the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations 1999 - applies to any charges consumers may have to pay in addition to their regular bill. These charges are usually for not paying by direct debit, for receiving paper bills, for late payments or for leaving before a contract ends. Ofcom has also published a consumer guide that covers the same subject. Its guidance says charges for late payments and different payment methods should be limited to the cost of dealing with payments, charges for itemised billing shouldn't be more than £1.50 per bill and consumers who end contracts early should never have to pay more than the payments left under the contract. [Press release; Consumer guide (pdf)]

5th anniversary of hands-free law marked by RoSPA

RoSPA, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, is reminding motorists about the risks of making a call or texting at the wheel five years after it became illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving. The law was introduced in Britain on 1st December 2003 but casualty statistics reveal there were 25 fatal accidents, 64 serious accidents and 259 other accidents on Britain’s roads last year in which a driver using a mobile phone was recorded as a contributory factor. They also point to research that shows using a mobile phone at the wheel – whether hand-held or hands-free – makes you four times more likely to have an accident. [Press release]

Apple sued over iPhone browser

Law firm Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro has filed a patent infringement lawsuit on behalf of EMG Technology against Apple, accusing Apple of infringing US Patent 7,441,196 in the way the iPhone navigates the internet. The patent covers internet content reformatted to XML; the format used by the iPhone and other mobile devices. [Sources: MarketWatch.com; TheRegister.co.uk]

Mobiles to be made illegal in Scottish prisons

Ministers in Scotland have taken the first step towards outlawing mobile phones in prisons. The aim is to prevent mobiles being used for drug dealing or for organising criminal activities. From next month, possession of a mobile phone or SIM card in prison will become an offence - as will attempting to pass these items to offenders in prison. The Scottish Prison Service will also introduce mobile phone 'signal blockers' to stop mobiles from working. [Press release]

Sri Lanka requires mobile users to carry proof of ownership

The Sri Lankan government is introducing new security legislation that will require mobile phone users to carry a certificate of ownership and will prevent them them from using phones belonging to other people. The country's Telecommunication Regulatory Authority said users would have to carry a letter from their mobile phone provider confirming the person carrying the phone is the owner of the SIM card. In addition, customers using CDMA technology - which is sold in Sri Lanka as a home telephone service, although it can be used wirelessly - will be restricted to using their phones at their registered address. [Source: SundayTimes.lk]

EU investigates ringtone providers

The European Union's crackdown on ringtone providers really does affect as many UK companies as the Sunday Times had previously suggested. In the UK, 39 out of the 43 websites checked need further investigation. Overall, of the 500 websites visited in 27 countries, 80% need further investigation for suspected breaches of EU consumer rules. The EU said almost 50% of all the sites checked had irregularities about price; over 70% were lacking contact information and over 60% of websites checked were misleading. All offending websites will be contacted by their national regulator; a follow-up report is expected in 2009. [Press release; FAQ]

New guidelines for driving offences involving mobiles

The Sentencing Guidelines Council, which issues guidelines to courts in England and Wales, has said that people distracted by a hand-held mobile phone when committing a driving offence should be treated particularly seriously. Its new guidelines state that a driving offence committed whilst reading or composing text messages whilst behind the wheel could result in up to seven years in prison. [PDF press release; PDF guidelines]

Teen Drivers Often Ignore Bans on Using Cellphones and Texting

Teen Drivers Often Ignore Bans on Using Cellphones and Texting. Yes, that’s the headline. No great surprise. Apparently mobile phone use by teenage drivers rose in North Carolina after the state banned drivers aged under 18 from using their mobiles behind the wheel, according to research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the University of North Carolina. However, the drivers themselves said they supported the restrictions, which forbid hand-held and hands-free phone use. Before the ban at the end of 2006, 11% of young drivers were seen to be using their mobiles as they drove away from school or college – but this rose to 12% five months later. In neighbouring South Carolina, where there’s no similar ban, mobile phone use remained at around 13%. [Source: Insurance Journal; University of North Carolina]

Two-thirds of drivers want harsher penalties for breaking hands-free law

A survey by headset manufacturer Jabra says most drivers know it's illegal to use a mobile phone at the wheel and believe the penalties aren't harsh enough. The Jabra research surveyed over 2,000 consumers in Great Britain, revealing 93% of motorists were aware that using a handheld phone while at the wheel without a hands-free kit could be treated as dangerous driving with a potential prison sentence of up to two years. And 68% of motorists thought this penalty should be tougher to encourage more drivers to stop using their handheld at the wheel. Overall, 62% of motorists said they were now using a handsfree solution and 17% said they'd stopped using their mobile when driving. [Press release]

Hands-free law isn't working, say road safety experts

The Local Authority Road Safety Officers' Association (LARSOA) has carried out a poll on the effectiveness of the UK's "hands-free" legislation. A year ago, the penalty for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving was increased (from £30 and no penalty points) to £60 with three penalty points. All 185 LARSOA members were asked whether they thought the legislation had been effective. Although 100% of members agreed with the legislation, 75% of members didn't think it had been effective. LARSOA is encouraging drivers to switch off their mobile phones when they get in the car and to make use of voicemail. [Press release]

Drivers could be jailed for holding mobiles

New guidelines from the Crown Prosecution Service say that drivers could face jail if they've been driving dangerously while using a mobile phone. [Source: BBC News]