Plan to make phone use safer for teens watered down

Plan to make phone use safer for teens watered down 54 minutes ago Share Save Alex Boyd BBC News Hope Rhodes Education producer Share Save Getty Images A bill that had suggested banning smartphones in schools and addictive algorithms aimed at young teenagers has been watered down to gain government support. Labour MP Josh MacAlister, who brought the private members' bill, told MPs during a parliamentary debate on Friday that reducing smartphone use in law would be a "process", not one "big bang" event. The proposed legislation calls for the government to say within a year whether it will raise the digital age of consent from 13 to 16 - meaning companies could not receive children's data without parental permission until that age. Data Protection and Telecoms Minister Chris Bryant said the bill's recommendations "very much chime with what we intend to do". The bill also says parents need further guidance on smartphone and social media use by children. Bryant said that and other meas ... Read full article.