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The new Safer Phones Bill, introduced in the UK on Tuesday, aims to regulate the use of smartphones by users under 16 years of age and promote them as less addictive through recommendations such as forcing social media companies to exclude teenagers from recommended content algorithms.

There is growing evidence of the risks that minors face when using smartphones and social media in everyday life. For example, research from BioMed Central (BMC) shows that on average, one in four children and young adults use their smartphone. a form equivalent to “behavioral addiction.”

Faced with this, Labor MP for Whitehaven and Workington in the United Kingdom, Josh McAlister, introduced a new bill on Tuesday:Safe phones” through which it seeks to “protect children” from the harm that can be caused by excessive smartphone screen time, as well as the use of social media and other apps, “many of which are addictive by design.”

This was explained by the deputy through a publication in “X”, in which he shared the key points contained in this bill, designed regulate the use of smartphones by children under 16 years of age and prevent them from accessing addictive content on platforms such as social media.

In particular, as detailed, one of the proposals increase the age of Internet access from 13 to 16 yearstherefore, tech companies need to obtain parental permission from users under 16 to access their data.

Thus, companies that “distribute addictive content” As is the case with social media owners, they will not be able to show these types of posts to children under 16 years old, since they will not have their data to use in content recommendation algorithms.

Additionally, McAlister noted that this option offers more decision-making power for parentswho will be able to know exactly which companies or digital platforms are storing their children’s data.

Following this line, the bill also proposes to give more powers to the UK communications regulator Ofcom so that it can ““Protect children from addictive apps,” McAlister said.

In particular, the MP indicated that Ofcom would add features such as, for example, verifying the age of users and, based on this, preventing access by persons identified as minors to applications and services that are “addictive by design.”

On the other hand, the bill also provides for the option of banning smartphones in educational centers. That is, he seeks to implement a legal requirement that establishes that “All schools should be mobile phone-free zones.”to create a learning space where minors can focus and avoid using these devices and their associated apps.

Finally, McAllister suggests that, if necessary, the government could carry out “stricter design regulation, supply, marketing and use” of mobile phones by minors under 16 years of age.

The Safe Phones Bill currently has the support of former Conservative education secretary Keith Malthouse, education select committee chair Helen Mayes and other politicians.

Similarly, the UK Government’s Health Secretary Wes Streeting also showed his support for the bill with a publication in X magazine, which he described as a “really timely” debate, given the impact of Smartphone use on the mental health of children and young people and the concerns of parents, as discussed.

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Same as collected GuardianMP McAllister will meet Technology Secretary Peter Kyle this week to discuss possible UK government support to take the bill forward.

The above-mentioned media also reported that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Stamer said he is against a “simple ban” on smartphones for children under 16. But he shared that we need to rethink what minors should be allowed to do with these devices.

(Europe Press)