Steve Bird
2 for 1 tickets to Casablanca, this coming Monday
A website criticised for encouraging young girls to embrace plastic surgery
and dieting is being investigated by a communications watchdog over claims
that it has breached rules about targeting children with premium rate phone
lines.
PhonepayPlus is examining claims that the Miss Bimbo game exploits children’s
naivety and contains content that parents would feel unsuitable for children.
The organisation, formerly called Icstis and which regulates premium rate
phone services, said the investigation was launched after the site was
rounded on for sending a dangerous message about dieting. Parents and
healthcare professionals working with those suffering bulimia and anorexia
condemned the site as “lethal”.
Miss Bimbo, described by its creators as a fashion game, has attracted
prepubescent children as young as 9. It invites children to create a virtual
doll, monitor its diet and weight and buy it breast implants and facelifts.
Children sign up free of charge and automatically receive 1,000 “dollars” to
buy treatments and clothes. They are also invited to buy extra dollars by
sending £1.50 text messages to afford “gifts” for the character.
If the Miss Bimbo service is found to have flouted guidelines it faces a fine
of up to £250,000 and possible ban from providing premium rate phones
services.
A PhonepayPlus spokesman said: “Our code of practice has specific requirements
for services that are targeted at children or likely to be particularly
attractive to children. In addition to issues around cost, our rules make
clear that services should not exploit or provide content that parents are
likely to think unacceptable. We are looking into claims that the Miss Bimbo
service might contravene these requirements.”
Chris Evans, the British businessman helping to introduce Miss Bimbo to
Britain, insisted that the game could be completed without using the premium
rate number to buy extra “dollars”. He said the designers had decided to
remove virtual diet pills from the game following the public outcry about
the message it sent to girls.
Enjoy screenings of all the classic films you love.
Have you ever dreamed of owning your own racehorse or a beautiful painting?
Enjoy comfort, safety, space and great design. Plus enter our great competition
Are you California dreaming? Explore the wonders of the Golden State. Also enter our fantastic competition
Do you have what it takes to be a Times photographer?
Your brain is capable of more than you might think...
Find out to make the most of your money with our wealth management guides
Need help with your property? We have an entire how to guide - buying, selling, letting, moving, to help you
Everything the Business Traveller needs to know to make a better trip
We are seeking entries for the inaugural Sunday Times Best Green Companies Awards
Enjoy some wonderful inspiring wildlife moments
An interactive preview of the brand new For Your Eyes Only exhibition

Love Sudoku? Play our brand new interactive game: with added functionality and daily prizes

Are you irritable when you return from work? Drained of emotion? You could be suffering from boreout
Prepare for some shock and awe, petrol lovers. Despite the greens trying to wipe it out, the car is about to offer us the most exciting year ever
We've trawled the brochures and websites to find this summer’s best holidays for every taste and budget


Get our new mobile internet service.
Text Times to 86626

Overseas contacts and local business information
2007/07
£57,500
South East England
2007/57
£22,950
The Midlands
2006/06
£41,995
South East England
Great car insurance deals online
£40-55k+benefits+uncapped commission
Morgan Keating
South East
£60k plus excellent benefits
Barclaycard
Stockton / Northampton
£
£55,000 - £75,000 plus bonus and benefits
Diligenta
Based in Peterborough
£45,000 - £70,000 plus bonus and benefits
Diligenta
Based in Peterborough
Globrix, the property search engine
Visit Times Online Property for homes for sale or rent
Residential development site with planning permission
£1,500,000
Mortgages, bank accounts & money transfers to help you buy abroad
Dinarobin Hotel Golf & Spa 7 nights
From £1830 per person – saving £530.
Smart prices on ATOL protected holidays
Excellent online info & holiday selection.
Walt Disney World Resort Florida SALE!
From £619 per person!
Great travel insurance deals online
Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times. Search globrix.com to buy or rent UK property.
© Copyright 2008 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.
I think that the news have made a mountain out of a molehill.
Like many others, i joined 9 days ago to see what the fuss was about, nothing was wrong, the website has apoligized to everyone. but at the end of the day it is a game and if you cant play it and know it is a game, and know that you shouldnt yourself live like that, then you should not be able to play the game at all. i mean i myself am 16, and at the end of the day they havent mentioned the other goals of the game,
On level 1 your goal is to train to be a baker, get pigtails done to your hair and something else that isnt veryimportant i mean, for god sake.
Julia, cwmbran, wales
I joined Miss Bimbo after hearing all of the outcry against it. I have to say I was disappointed! I thought that there would be some doll with ribs sticking out and all of the goals would be to lose weight and live off of water or some such thing! But instead there is a cute doll with a trim figure and I can feed her chocolate and all sorts of goodies if I want! And my goals so far have been to change her hair and get training to become a baker! I would also like to add that if a parent doesn't know what their 9 year old is doing online and keep some control over it then I would think there would be a lot of worse things they could find! Not to mention that I had to provide an e-mail address to register and what parent would let a child that young have e-mail? I have to say this seems like the newest bandwagon and will probably blow over when the next Barbie doll or whatever comes out!
KT, Leicestershire, East Midlands
I play on the site and Im 18, We hear about celebrities having plastic surgery all the time and some of these are young childrens role models, I believe a child is more likely to have plastic surgery because of a celebrity they like who has had it done rather than a make believe doll on a website. And if anything it costs alot for the child to purchase the plastic surgery on the website so if anything they are teaching children you can't have a face lift for a weeks pocket money. And Eleanor I don't believe children will "self harm" over a website, I used to self harm when I was 14, it had nothing to do with what i saw on the TV or on the internet, more to do with my real life and hurtful things girls at school said, if anything I would think this would make a nice release from that as it bassically is laughing at the sterotypical popular girl. And if anything more about the dieting side of it, i think we should be warning kids to watch their weight as the population is turning obese.
Emma, Leicester, UK
its just harmless fun and i love playinfg on there, and if you actully look, one of the goals is to gain weight, so why are people saying its making girls care about their weight? i think the real people to blame for people being concerned about their weight are the people who run dieting programs and make dieting products! and about breast surgury and face lifts, come on, what 9 year old can afford breast surgury? this investigation is a waste of time.
claire poutney, kingswinford, west midlands
Every online game, from something as simple and sweet as Webkinz or Neopets, and the more advanced, and expensive, gameplay from World of Warcraft, has had negative media attention at some point because of some points made from data cultivated from small amounts of people.
True, perhaps some over-imaginative children could be led onto the site, and have their minds "tainted" by the overly, almost hilariously, over-the-top "bimbo"'s located on the Miss Bimbo website.
However, it is the parent's responsibility to control and monitor their children's activity's, it should not be the responsibility of a website to try and become "kid-friendly", because the fact of the matter is, there are many "worse" things on the internet that children could easily access.
Blaming one website for the faults of parents, and even the children themselves, is unfair and illogical.
Kayla, Houston, TX
hi.i am a mother and i play this game becouse is funny,and my girl stay next to me when i play it. If other parents dont know how to educate their kids...just lock up the pc with a password.
And dont blame the game,let the other ppl who know how to have fun to play it.
Diana, osaka, japan
I'm 13 and I feel sorry for over 18's that enjoy the site just because some parents can't be bothered to look what children are on is just stupid there are millions of sites that are worse that a virtual fashion game and I think other people aren't really bothered about a game on the internet,and as teenager a virtual "diet pill" isn't going to send me into depression or anorexia neither is surgery im happy with what iv'e got and so are most of the girls who go on website it just spiralled out of control over the whole thing, IT JUST SOME FUN.
Charlotte, Manchester, Uk
Where has miss bimbo gone? It seemed like a bit of harmless fun!!!
I'm 23, and I think it is just SOOO funny!!!
YES. For over 18's, not for young inpressionables. but you only get what you want out of it... if you think it's too tacky - don't go on the site... but if you take it with a grain of salt - - - whos it hurting??? NO ONE
All it is, is one big joke!!!
BRING IT BACK!!! HAHAHAHA
mon, pth,
The website in question is for people over the age of 18 and anyone under this age needs parental consent, it even states this when you go to sign up. im in no way taking either side in this arguement but im just saying that its not the websites fault for parents allowing their children to use that site or any other part of the internet.
The internet is a dangerous tool if missused
Daniel Kelly, Swansea,
If a girl as young as 9 is on there, it's just called bad parenting. Who these days lets their children roam free on the net? It is all about fashion, and also has some games which are very intellectually challenging, Why ruin it for everyone by getting rid of it? No one can 'police' the net. Quit being pompous and write about something people need to know.
Sara, Basildon, Uk
i think that the website is not a good idea. young girls are going to be self harming therselfs if they do not look like the bimbo dolls on the webstie.stop it now before it gets to late.
Eleanor, northampton, uk