Discussions about O2 and age verification

[Anonymous]

Just received a text from TPTB saying I need to confirm I'm over 18 to view adult material. Until then, it'll remain blocked on my phone. I don't have a credit card so I'll need to do this in store. Just wondering, I have no particular desire to view pornographic material or register to flirt websites on my phone but if I don't have this ban lifted, will it affect my general day-to-day browsing in any way? Otherwise, I won't bother.
Secondly, when did this come about? Never needed to confirm my age in the past. And why couldn't they have sorted this in store when I bought the phone?

[Anonymous]

I too received the

"O2: You'll need to prove you're over 18 to go on 18 websites on your mobile. Call our free automated service 61018 or go to http://o2.co.uk/ageverify . You'll need a credit card"

text message. Initially thought it was spam, then noticed that the website URL looked legitimate.
Although I've no desire to see the website, I couldn't help but wonder which website the 18 referenced were.
Saying that, looking at tweets on the subject, it looks like their site categorisation software / database is as credible as most other net nanny sites... so expect them to junk it as a bad idea sometime soon, before the derision becomes to much for their social media monitors and marketing guys to cope with.
Edit - out of curiosity, I peaked at o2.co.uk/ageverify and saw
"Sorry, we’re having technical problems so we can’t check your age and mobile number." bwhaaaaa

[Anonymous]

This just gets better and better....
From http://www.o2.co.uk/support/generalhelp/howdoi/safetycontrolandaccess/blockunblock

The first time you use a credit card to prove to us that you are 18 or older we will charge £1 to your credit card and credit £2.50 to your mobile account. Please note that each time you verify your age, your credit card will be charged £1. You will only receive £2.50 credit when you use this service for the first time.

How many times are they expecting customers to verify their age?
Is this really a free money scheme for customers (put a pound in, get two pounds fifty out) or will they keep card details and automatically bill each time (scary) ?
Out of curiosity, and for the first time (I should add) - I disabled wifi, allowed the mobile data connection and dialled up a naughty site in browser.
That, after a long wait, redirected me to https://bango.net/O2AV/wAV.aspx?httpsRedirect=1 (thus keeping my cache unsullied)
I find myself wondering if this is a poacher pretending to be a gamekeeper.
Bango.Net (source http://sitetrail.com/bango.net is a Cambridge based mobile billing company... provider of billing solutions for, yup, you guessed it....
take a peak at this 2003 article
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1022040/sex-wire-initiative-hits-problems
and, if your in the wireless mobile adult services industry, they are probably good guys to know.
There was also a bit of fiasco with O2, Orange and Bango back in 2005...
More background from
http://www.shareworld.co.uk/index.php/articles/company-information/bango-plc/
Enough... remember, folks, Google is your friend

[Anonymous]

Wait. Why does that link take you to bango.net? Is this a site endorsed by O2? I'd feel very uncomfortable offering credit card details to any site with "bango" in the URL!
Anyone confirm if this is genuine or a scam?

[Anonymous]

O2 do seem to have used bango. I personally find it disconcerting that O2 are using this company.

[Anonymous]

If you go to http://www.banjo.net, you find yourself on Rik Palieri's (pronounced Pal-air-re) website - which is rather cool if you're into American folks music.
I made the same transposition of "g" and "j" on a tweet (twice) just recently :robotsurprised:
I think, given O2's long history with Bango, it's genuine.
I also think it's spam designed to generate revenue.
Of particular interest, from the Bango billing link, was
"Bill on all operators and connections, even Wi-Fi" - time to rigorously monitor our smartphones for trojan like behaviour from our beloved phone operators and those they are in bed with perhaps?
I would never ever ever give my credit card details though...
My biggest concern is that, given the typically questionable categorisation of websites, people will be duped into registering as over 18 to visit, say, a BBC page which has been miss-categorised, opening up multiple billing opportunities.

I don't see this ending well for O2

[Anonymous]

I'm going to follow this up. If I find anything I'll post back.

[Anonymous]

This is BEYOND a joke! I cannot even access http://translate.google.com without it auto-forwarding to bango.net
#### O2!! This is ridiculous! What are you trying to achieve with this?

[Anonymous]

This is BEYOND a joke! I cannot even access http://translate.google.com without it auto-forwarding to bango.net
#### O2!! This is ridiculous! What are you trying to achieve with this?

It's automated software that's been put in place to prevent youngsters from seeing what they shouldn't. I don't know why you're getting so would up over it.
If you don't have a credit card and aren't going past a shop any time soon then call 202 and ask them to complete their age verification form, it'll have the content filter lifted within, off the top of my head, 48 hours.

[Anonymous]

This is BEYOND a joke! I cannot even access http://translate.google.com without it auto-forwarding to bango.net
#### O2!! This is ridiculous! What are you trying to achieve with this?

It's automated software that's been put in place to prevent youngsters from seeing what they shouldn't. I don't know why you're getting so would up over it.
If you don't have a credit card and aren't going past a shop any time soon then call 202 and ask them to complete their age verification form, it'll have the content filter lifted within, off the top of my head, 48 hours.

Yeah, because youngsters having access to Google Translate is potentially cataclysmic!!!
I'm wound up because I pay extra for internet on my phone and at the moment, I'm unable to perform basic day-to-day tasks because their categorisation of websites is ruddy bonkers.
No, ringing 202 won't work. You need to do it either online with a credit card or instore with ID. Which means I have to jump on the bus, purchase a £5 fayre just to confirm my age to O2, something they could have done 2 weeks ago when I bought the phone.