The Bill commits the Government to come back within a year on the question of raising ‘the digital age of consent’ from 13 to 16.
MPs will debate the Safer Phones Bill, aimed at reducing smartphone harms among children, during its second reading in the Commons. The Bill proposes raising the digital age of consent from 13 to 16, requiring parental permission for data sharing to reduce smartphone addictiveness. Introduced by Labour MP Josh MacAlister, it seeks significant government engagement on the issue. However, initial provisions like school smartphone bans were dropped. Critics, including the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign and Liberal Democrats, argue the Bill has been weakened and lacks sufficient measures.
