PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Ban the ownership of smartphones and camera phones for children under 16
I call for the government to ban the sale of, or provision of smartphones, or camera phones to under 16s. This would be punishable by a £2000 fine, to the adult who provided the child with the phone. I call for the government to make it illegal for under 16s to hold any social media accounts.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
8
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 8/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 8/100,000
Background
Smartphones and camera phones are having a devastating impact on young people in Britain. Children have access to huge amounts of material online, a lot of which is harmful to the child exposed to it.
There is an epidemic of issues related to internet usage and social media; cyber bullying, issues around sending and receiving sexualised images, unrealistic expectations around body image and appearance.
Smartphones are damaging the mental and physical health of our children and adolescents.