Parents today face an impossible balance: protecting their children from the risks of the online world, while still wanting them to benefit from technology, and knowing that so much of their social lives now happens there.
I hear from many local parents concerned about this issue, and it is now getting a lot more attention in Parliament too thanks to campaigns such as Smartphone Free Childhood. Most recently (March 2026) I met with parents in Alton and Petersfield to hear their views on the risks to childhood posed by smartphones and social media.
Where we are today
The Government has launched a consultation on banning social media for under-16s. It also proposes making school phone guidance mandatory - a de facto ban - alongside new measures on children’s access to AI and potential app curfews.
I have been pushing for these changes both locally and in Parliament because they are essential to safeguarding children. They would give parents and teachers much-needed backing and better protect young people from growing online risks.
You can find my slide pack on the consultation below, which sets out these proposals in more detail.
The consultation can be accessed here: Growing up in the online world: a national consultation - GOV.UK. The closing date for responses is 26 May 2026. A decision is expected 'by the summer'.
But in my view we do not need further consultation or delay. The evidence is already clear. Too many children are being exposed to highly addictive, carefully engineered online platforms, with well-documented impacts on mental health, sleep, attention, academic progress, and development.
Despite strong public support, it is concerning that the government has been slow to act. To address this, the Conservatives forced a vote in the House of Commons (via Lord Nash's amendments to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill) on both removing smartphones from schools and raising the social media age limit to 16 (clip above from the debate on 15 April 2026). Sadly these amendments were not accepted by the government.
The background
The key legislation is the Online Safety Act, passed in 2023. Some measures are already in force; others are still to come. New “Children’s Codes” should strengthen protections by filtering the most harmful content, but while that’s a step forward, it doesn’t go far enough.
Progress elsewhere has stalled. The much-anticipated Safer Phones Bill was watered down to little more than a request for future guidance from the Chief Medical Officer.
I have also pushed for stronger action in Parliament, tabling amendments to the Data Use and Access Bill on minimum age limits for high-risk social media and how they should be enforced. The Government chose not to support them. Alongside colleagues, I also proposed banning phone use during the school day (with sensible exceptions), but this too was blocked.
Furthermore, when I secured a place in the ballot, I introduced the Internet (Protection of Children) Bill - targeting harmful content, addictive features like autoplay and infinite scroll, stronger default child settings and time limits, and clearer labelling of edited images and commercial influencing. Unfortunately, the 2019 election cut it short before it could progress.
Sign the petition: Get Children off Social Media
