https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/britain-is-being-too-slow-to-ban-smartphones/
The tide is also turning globally. Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill this week to ban under-14s in the state from having social media accounts and make platforms erase any already created. In Utah, under-18s already cannot use social media between 10.30pm and 6.30am. France recently introduced a new law requiring social media platforms to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for those under 15, while the EU Digital Services Act has banned targeted advertising at children. In China, TikTok users under 14 can only use the app for 40 minutes a day.
As usual, the UK lags behind, weighed down by the bloated, bureaucratic mess that was the Online Safety Bill. Michelle Donelan, the technology secretary, has said that the government is looking at banning children under 16 from buying mobile phones as part of a new consultation. However, given that any law would only ban the sales of mobile phones directly to children, and not stop parents from buying phones for their children, this seems as useful as a glass hammer.
I do think kids should be off smart phones, but I don’t see how it can realistically be enforced. I assume the French ban uses the same tech they brought in to verify age on porn and gambling sites. Does anyone know how the Florida and Utah legislation works?
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