Safer Phones Bill

We are proud to support Josh MacAlister’s new Bill to protect children from the harms of excessive smartphone use and addictive apps. Children are spending an alarming time on their phones and the impacts are proliferating every day. This Bill is the first meaningful political step to address this growing issue by

• Raising the age of ‘internet adulthood’ to 16
• Supporting mobile-free schools
• Strengthening Ofcom’s powers and duties to regulate apps designed to be addictive
• Committing Government to review further regulation of the design, supply, marketing and use of mobile phones by children under 16

The SafeScreens team have been intimately involved in preparing this ambitious piece of legislation, and will be continuing to work alongside Josh and a small team of other experts and campaigners as the proposals are refined prior to a debate in Parliament. The Bill will have its first reading on Wednesday 16 October, with a second reading in the new year. Already the proposals have gained cross-party political support, and backing from teaching unions and the five major children’s charities. There is a good chance for this Bill to become law. We believe this Bill will empower parents, teachers and children to make better decisions and reduce the harmful effects of addictive technology.

Josh MacAlister MP said: “The evidence is mounting that children doom scrolling for hours a day is causing widespread harm. We need the equivalent of the “seatbelt” legislation for social media use for children.

“Adults find it hard enough to manage screen time, so why are we expecting children to manage this addictive content without some shared rules? Parents are in an impossible bind over whether to ostracise their child from social media or expose them to the harms and addiction of content.

“Countries around the world are now taking bold action and our children risk being left behind. It’s time to have the national debate here in the UK. Polling shows that parents overwhelmingly support taking action on this issue and the coalition of experts backing my Bill reflects the views of those who are dealing with the consequences of excessive screen time.”

“I look forward to the debate and hope to convince colleagues from across the House to back my Bill. I’d urge supporters to write to their MPs to encourage them to do so.”

You can see Josh explain his ambitions for the Bill in a short video here.