Parental Controls Cause 911 Problem

AT&T has suspended sales of a cellular parental control service after it was discovered that it made it impossible for dispatchers to call back a youngster who had dialed 911 and then became disconnected. The “Smart Limits” service allows parents to control wireless access and to set limits to who they can call, and who can call them. AT&T says that under some circumstances, if the child dials 911 and then the call is dropped or hung-up, a dispatcher calling back is blocked from reaching the child. The company said that no specific incident occurred to reveal the problem, but that it was discovered during a routine review of the service.