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Watch Out for British, Romanian and Czech Ringtone Websites

Says the European Parliament

By Denisa Ilascu, Internet / SEO News Editor

18th of July 2008, 08:16 GMT

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A number of complaints on behalf of users who were taken in by certain ringtone websites determined the European Parliament to investigate further into the matter. Commissions from every country of the EU were asked to check the websites that provided ringtones and wallpapers for the people living there. The look-over, coordinated by EU consumer protection chief Meglena Kuneva, revealed that people should be very careful when downloading such applications.

Out of 500 verified sites, 466 require "further investigation," as the commissioner said. Three stipulations of consumer law were infringed by most of the surveyed websites. Half of the online properties did not offer clear information about their price policies, 60% went further, by pretending they offered free services that, in fact, were enclosed in hidden taxes and subscriptions, while 70% didn't supply the required contact information of the owners.

The U.K., Romania and the Czech Republic are dealing with the most severe problems with these websites. These three countries were indicated as the most substantial providers of illicit content and the ones who abide the laws the least. The European Parliament's official said that, were the situation not to improve, she would ask for legal actions to be taken. "I am really obsessed by enforcement. If there is no enforcement I will not hesitate to start legal proceedings," Meglena Kuneva explained.

The investigation, as the official said, will continue with checking other Internet properties whose names have not been disclosed for the sake of the efficiency of the sweep. The parliamentary hopes that her plan of publishing a brochure with all the contravening websites will take concrete shape by the end of the year. The problems stem from the fact that, while adults will probably always follow indications, children who have unlimited access to the Internet and, sometimes, to their parents' credit cards, are easily manipulated by the "glittery" websites.

TAGS:

ringtones | European Parliament | law infringement

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