The Salvation Army
Media Release

Salvation Army questions Vodafone's 'adult' content

Wellington, 11 September 2007 - The Salvation Army is questioning a decision by Vodafone to sell 'adult' material on its mobile phone network.

The Dominion Post reported this month that Vodafone was offering adult material to mobile phones through its Vodafone Live portal. The newspaper said that Vodafone planned to donate the income, less costs, to charity.

Until recently the Vodafone website described its adult content as: 'The best of Brit lad mags is now available on your mobile. You can download the best pics of the hottest babes from the pages of Maxim.' It cautioned customers that 'the content in Maxim is hot'. This information has since been removed, but other details still on their website advise: 'Maxim - Phwoar - the Maxim Babes are hot, hot, HOT'.

Salvation Army spokesperson Mrs Chris Frazer says Vodafone appears to have crossed a moral boundary and urgently needs to clarify what kind of content is being delivered.

Vodafone has been reported as saying it would restrict sale of its adult content to those over 18, but their website has been promoting material for the UK-based 'Maxim' men's magazine to ages 16 years and above.

The Salvation Army is concerned that age restrictions on mobile phone content do not prevent vulnerable children from also gaining access to adult-only material. It questions the need for any telecommunications company to actively target consumers with this kind of material.

'Those who begin by viewing soft porn may move on to harder-core and more addictive material,' says Mrs Frazer. 'Pornography is exploitative, objectifying women and, in its worse form, children as well. Those who become obsessed by or addicted to pornography risk damaging the intimacy of real-life relationships.

'The Salvation Army encourages Vodafone to rethink the provision of adult content on its New Zealand network.'

ENDS

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