06 Mar 2025
A grassroots campaign calling for tighter restrictions on smartphone use for teenagers will see a milestone debate in the House of Commons this week.
The Smartphone-Free Childhood WhatsApp movement, which includes groups based in various St Albans schools, was set up last year in response to concerns over the risks posed by smartphones.
On Friday MPs are due to debate the Safer Phones Bill, which aims to increase the age when children can create social media profiles and email accounts from 13 to 16.
It was put forward by Labour MP and former teacher Josh MacAlister, and also calls for regulator Ofcom to receive greater powers to protect children from apps designed to be addictive.
St Albans has been at the forefront of the campaign for tougher restrictions on access to apps and smartphones for young people.
Last May, the St Albans Primary Schools Consortium – which brings together all primary headteachers from across the district – issued a joint letter calling on parents not to let their children have a smartphone before they are 14.
Since then hundreds of parents across the district have signed a pledge promising not to buy their children a smartphone until they are in Year 9, in a bid to reset expectations and remove social peer pressure.
The full details of the Safer Phones Bill are due to be published on Thursday, but we spoke to Harpenden and St Albans MPs Victoria Collins and Daisy Cooper ahead of the debate.
Victoria said: “Keeping children safe online is undoubtedly more difficult than ever, but also more important than ever. And locally, I know it’s a concern not only for parents but for children themselves.
“On recent visits to local schools, students have told me how worried they are about what they’re seeing online: from online bullying to content around extreme dieting and self-harm. And amongst this, it’s deeply worrying that social media apps themselves are designed to be addictive – incentivising children to constantly scroll through their phones and often encounter such dangerous content.
“It’s vital that we take steps to protect young people from harmful content, addictive design, and exploitative data practices, and as my party’s spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology I’ve been leading our calls for this.
“What’s clear is that social media use has become a public health issue – and I’m urging the Government to treat it as such. As a starting point they must urgently establish a Safer Screens taskforce.
“It’s also key that we ensure children are supported in using smartphones and social media safely; I know many local schools have already launched fantastic initiatives around digital education and awareness of online dangers, and to have properly funded facilities like youth clubs which encourage children to take time away from the online world.
“On the Safer Phones Bill specifically, I of course support its ambition to create a safer digital environment for young people, and it raises some really important concerns surrounding the algorithms driving addictive content on social media, and the exploitation of children’s personal data.
“However, the Bill hasn’t yet been published which makes effective scrutiny of it impossible at present. And Josh MacAlister MP, the Bill’s sponsor, has indicated that he doesn’t intend to put it to a vote this Friday given that the Government would not support it.
“But I’ve been discussing the Bill with him to explore the issues it aims to address, and I’m continuing to push forward the Liberal Democrats’ proposals in this area.
“For example, I intend to introduce changes to the Data (Use and Access) Bill to enshrine the principle of ‘internet adulthood’ – raising the age of consent for data sharing from 13 to 16.
“And through my upcoming ‘Safer Screens Tour’ I’ll be continuing to discuss smartphone use with young people affected in our local area, to determine the most effective ways to keep them safe.”
Daisy added: “Parents, teachers and children themselves tell me that they’re extremely worried about the dangers of smartphones, whether it’s harmful content, bullying or in extreme cases, grooming.
“I think we need a three-pronged approach. Phone operators and social media providers need to make phones and social media sites safer, the Government needs to make sure that the social media regulator Ofcom has teeth, and children must be empowered to exercise their digital rights to access age-appropriate information and services online, whilst learning how to keep themselves safe.
“This week a backbench Labour MP is using a Private Members’ Bill to further raise awareness of this issue, and this will undoubtedly be a helpful addition to other parliamentary debates that have been had on the issue.
“There won’t be a vote on his ‘Safer Phones Bill’ this Friday, and as the content of the Bill hasn’t been published either, we can’t yet scrutinise the specifics of the Bill either.
“Notwithstanding, it’s really important that – for the sake of the wellbeing, development, and health of our young people – Parliamentarians find a way to legislate to reduce the dangers of smartphones and the online world.”
She added: “My Liberal Democrat colleagues and I will continue to work cross-party to make this happen.”
