Sale of mobile phones to under-16s may be banned
Children under 16 could be banned from buying mobile phones under proposals being considered by ministers.
Michelle Donelan, the Technology Secretary, is looking at imposing the restriction in an attempt to protect young people from the harmful effects of social media.
It comes amid a growing government crackdown on children’s use of phones, with Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, issuing guidance earlier this year urging schools to ban mobile phones in the classroom, saying the move would reduce disruption and improve behaviour.
An Ofcom poll last year found that 97 per cent of children have a phone by the age of 12 while 99 per cent of teenagers have a phone by the time they are 17.
Outlawing phone sales to under-16s is one option being considered under a consultation on protecting children online being drawn up by Ms Donelan’s department.
Any new law would only ban the sales of mobile phones directly to children, and would not stop parents from buying their children phones.
Easier to enforce parental controls
The Technology Secretary is also considering making it easier for parents to put parental controls on devices and banning under-16s from signing up to social media sites such as Facebook. Most allow children access from the age of 13.
A source at the department said no decision had yet been reached.
“There are discussions ongoing about whether more needs to be done to enable greater parental empowerment,” the source said.
“Currently you have to be 18 to get your own phone contract anyway, so that suggests most under 18s with a phone do so with parental consent already.”
The source added: “If parents want their kids to have phones then they should be allowed to.”
Review
How smartphones posioned our children's brains
The move comes in the wake of the murder of Brianna Ghey, the teenager who was killed by two 15-year-olds who watched violent content online.
Brianna’s mother, Esther Ghey, is campaigning for under-16s to be banned from accessing social media.
Last month a poll found that most parents want the Government to ban smartphones for the under-16s. Some 83 per cent of parents with at least one child between four and 18 believed that smartphones are harmful to children.
About 58 per cent back a smartphone ban for under-16s, according to the poll of 2,496 parents in England. Among primary school parents, support for a ban for under-16s was 77 per cent.
The survey was carried out by Parentkind, a charity that wants political parties to commit to restrictions on smartphones in their general election manifestos.
The same poll found that 80 per cent of parents believe 13 is too young for children to have social media accounts.
Call for ‘brick phones’
Sophie Winkleman, the actress, called for children to be given “brick” phones instead of smartphones earlier this year.
Appearing on the Telegraph’s Planet Normal podcast, she said: “Something needs to happen from higher up. I don’t know how anyone can defend social media and smartphone use for under-16s.”
She has warned that “smartphones and screen use are wrecking children’s eyesight, their neurological, emotional and mental health, their educational attainment and their life chances”.
Dr Becky Foljambe, an NHS GP, said: “Parental voices plus the detrimental and worsening impacts of smartphones on children that I see every day in practice, and observe hourly in the wider world, is all the evidence we need to create change now.
“Not only this, but older teenagers themselves are now voicing regrets that they were ever given a smartphone. This is a child public health concern.”
The issue of harm done to children by social media was highlighted by the suicide of 14-year-old Molly Russell, who had been exposed to self-harm content on Pinterest and Instagram.
A government spokesman did not deny the potential ban last night, saying: “We do not comment on speculation.
“Our commitment to making the UK the safest place to be a child online is unwavering, as evidenced by our landmark Online Safety Act.”
