MPs to debate Bill aimed at limiting harms of smartphone use among children

The issue of excessive smartphone and social media use by children would be pushed forward in a “meaningful way” if the Government supports a private member’s bill, an MP has insisted.

Josh MacAlister, Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington, said it would be “the most serious engagement” by the Government on issues relating to smartphone and social media use if the measures in his Bill are supported.

The Protection of Children (Digital Safety and Data Protection) – which is more commonly known as the Safer Phones Bill – will have its second reading in the Commons on Friday where MPs will debate it.

The Bill will instruct the UK chief medical officers to publish advice for parents on the use of smartphones and social media by children.

It also calls on the Government to state whether they are going to raise the age at which children can consent for their data to be shared without parental permission within 12 months of passing the Act.

Former teacher Mr MacAlister said the Bill commits ministers to come back within a year on the question of raising “the digital age of consent” from 13 to 16 to make smartphones less addictive.

It comes as a report from think tank The New Britain Project and polling firm More in Common suggested that the majority of young people support the idea of placing stricter rules on social media.

Mr MacAlister told the PA news agency: “If social media companies can’t use kids’ data without parental permission, then the algorithms that use the data to make the content really addictive aren’t able to be put to use.

“So it would basically mean that there would need to be different versions of social media that are less addictive for children, and it would also mean that parents have got the ultimate decision on that until 16 whereas at the moment it is only 13.”

Mr MacAlister had originally planned for the Bill to call for a legal requirement to be introduced so all schools in England were mobile-free zones.

But the proposal was dropped from the Bill after the Government signalled last year that it was unlikely to back plans to ban smartphones in schools.

Other proposals had included strengthening watchdog Ofcom’s powers to protect children from apps that are designed to be addictive, and committing the Government to review further regulation if needed of the design, supply, marketing and use of mobile phones by children under the age of 16.

But these have also been dropped from the final private member’s bill.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Mr MacAlister said: “I’ve worked with the Government over the last couple of weeks to get to the point where I can put a Bill forward that’s likely to get Government support, and I’m optimistic that (on Friday) they will back the measures that are in the bill.”

But the leader of the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign – where parents have been pushing to change the culture around children and smartphones over the past year – said the final provisions were “nowhere near enough”.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have accused the Government of making “ponderous progress” on the issue, and they suggested that the Government has succeeded in pushing for the Bill to be “watered down”.

Mr MacAlister told PA: “Anyone who looks at the first version of my Bill will know that this isn’t where I started, but from the beginning I’ve said that I want to put forward a Bill that is likely to lead to actual change rather than just making a noise about something.”

He added: “I’m hopeful that there’ll be lots of MPs there (on Friday) supportive of the Bill and wanting to see progress on this issue.”

When asked by PA what he hopes will happen if the Bill receives Government support, Mr MacAlister said: “It will push the issue forward in a meaningful way.

“If the Government supports the measures that are in the Bill then it will be the most serious engagement that the UK Government has had with these wider issues about smartphone and social media use beyond the Online Safety Act that the government have ever had and that will be progress.”

Joe Ryrie, co-founder and director of Smartphone Free Childhood, said: “Josh MacAlister has worked hard to push for legislation that finally starts to protect children from addictive algorithms in the Safer Phones Bill, whilst ensuring the final draft has Government backing.

“So while it’s good news that it appears he’s got Government support for some measures, let’s be honest: the final provisions included are nowhere near enough.”

He added: “Other countries are already taking bold action, while the UK lags behind.

“The public are demanding change, and sooner or later, politicians will have to catch up.”

Liberal Democrat MP Victoria Collins, the Science, Innovation & Technology spokesperson for the Lib Dems, said: “So far, the Government has made ponderous progress on children’s online safety.

“I’m disappointed that they’ve seemingly succeeded in pushing for the Safer Phones Bill to be watered down – a Bill that had such promise when it was first proposed.”

A Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) spokesperson said: “We are committed to keeping young people safe online whilst also ensuring they can benefit from the latest technology.

“By the summer robust new protections for children will be in force through the Online Safety Act to protect them from harmful content and ensure they have an age-appropriate experience online.

“The Government’s response to the private member’s bill will follow during the second reading of the Bill, as per parliamentary process.”