What Could The Safer Phones Bill Mean For Young People?

In October 2024, a Labour MP introduced the Safer Phones Bill with the aim to protect children from the negative impacts of excessive screen time and addictive mobile apps. However, parliamentary procedures mean that, even if it’s passed, the new regulations may take years to come into effect. Here, SIM-only mobile operator spusu explores what the bill could mean for the UK’s young people and offers parents advice on managing phone usage for children in the meantime.

Recent data from research specialist Childwise’s The Monitor Report 2023 shows that 13 to 14-year-olds spend 4.4 hours on their phone each day. The potential consequences of excessive screen time are well documented and include poor sleep, reduced mental wellbeing and decreased concentration. Consequently, the possibility of putting measures in place to limit screen time has been widely debated in Parliament during the past twelve months.

In early 2024, Rishi Sunak brought in guidance on implementing phone bans during the school day in order to prevent classroom distractions. Northern Ireland’s Education Minister issued similar guidance at the start of the 2024-25 academic year. But not all politicians are in agreement, with Keir Starmer stating shortly after being elected that he was against “simply banning” mobiles for under 16s.

However, Labour MP Josh MacAlister hopes to persuade the UK Government otherwise with the Safer Phones Bill, which was introduced to Parliament on October 14. Although the full bill will not be revealed until its second reading in January 2025, it compromises of four key areas aimed at tackling mobile phone addiction. So, what are they and how might they affect young people?

New rules

The first of the proposed provisions would be to raise the age of internet adulthood to 16, from the current age of 13. This three-year increase means that businesses wouldn’t be able to obtain data consent from under 16s without parental consent, making it harder for social platforms to feed addictive content to young people.

The next proposed change is putting the smartphone-free schools’ guidance on statutory footing. Although many schools already follow the guidance brought in by the previous government, this move aims to support headteachers by making it legally enforceable to ban mobile usage during school hours.

A third provision proposes to give Ofcom more power to prevent children being exposed to ‘addictive by design’ applications by introducing a code of conduct. This change would bring the UK in line with the EU Parliament, which in December 2023 called for the creation of ethical digital products without addictive designs.

Finally, the bill also aims to commit Government to review additional regulation surrounding the design, supply, advertising and usage of mobiles by under 16s, if and when required.

Harmful hold up

MacAlister’s bill is promising in terms of protecting children in the UK from the harms of excess screen time. Unlike previous suggestions for a blanket ban on owning smartphones for under 16s, the bill would still allow young people to enjoy the advantages of using smartphones but with less negative consequences.

The changes would also likely be useful for parents, making it easier for them to limit children’s screentime while still benefiting from safety features offered by smart devices. For example, smartphones can be equipped with GPS location tracking apps, which allow parents to check that their children are safe when they’re away from home.

However, despite the growing need to control mobile addiction within under 16s, there’s no guarantee that the bill will be passed. Even if politicians are predominantly in favour of the proposed changes, they would likely take a considerable time to take effect.

For instance, the Online Safety Bill, which aims to make the internet safer for children and adults, was first introduced by Boris Johnson’s government in March 2022. However, due to changes of leadership and debate over the bill’s contents, it did not receive Royal Assent until October 2023. Ofcom currently expects the safety duties for service providers to become enforceable in March 2025.

Given that the Safer Phones Bill is not due for a second reading until January 2025, it’s probable that the regulations won’t come into effect for a while. So, what can parents do to cut their children’s phone usage in the meantime?

Shrinking screen time

Although an increasing number of schools are already prohibiting phone usage during the day, it can be difficult to control kids’ screen time when they return home. The NHS recommends a limit of two hours a day for children, but a University of Derby survey of more than 500 parents of zero to ten-year-olds shows that this is being exceeded by 44 per cent of parents.

Using parent-controlled apps or built-in device features to disable apps or the smartphone itself after a certain amount of time is a useful way of reducing screen time. Additionally, it’s important to create screen-free zones in your home, such as during meal times or by ensuring young people don’t have their phones in their rooms overnight.

Finally, it’s important to be realistic — if a child currently spends six hours a day on a screen, it will be tricky to cut this to below two hours immediately. However, being consistent and cutting down day by day will help to combat the harmful effects of excessive screen time.

The Safer Phones Bill holds a lot of promise for protecting young people against addictive content and extended screen time. However, having a strong understanding of how to monitor and manage mobile usage ensures that parents can safeguard their children even if the bill doesn’t pass.