PORTLAND, Ore., July 27 (UPI) -- Child advocates accused cell phone makers of declaring "open season" on U.S. children and asked Congress to investigate the hot marketing trend.
Canadian child entertainer Raffi and conservative Illinois political activist Phyllis Schlafly joined the letter-writing campaign by Commercial Alert, a Portland, Ore., nonprofit co-founded by consumer activist and 2004 presidential contender Ralph Nader.
The group is protested a wave of new phone products aimed at children 8 to 12 years old, saying the telecommunications industry has declared "open season upon the children of this country," the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
"Despite the industry's rhetoric, Disney and the telecommunications companies really want to use children as conduits to their parents' wallets, and marketers want another way to bypass parents and speak directly to the nation's children," the letter said.
Among its concerns, Commercial Alert asked Congress to investigate whether the kiddie phones would allow adults other than their parents to call or track the children.
