Petition · Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Ban the sale, ownership and access to smartphones for children 16 and under
Closed
692 signatures
What the petition asks
We believe the UK is failing in its duty to safeguard its youth from the adverse effects of unmonitored smartphone use. We believe a ban for children 16 and under could help protect future generations from exploitation, radicalisation, harassment, addiction, misinformation and disinformation.
We believe we are failing our kids. We believe due to our ignorance to the rapid development and adoption of new technologies, we have never stopped to ask if this adoption is healthy for the development of our future generations. We believe smartphone access to children who are 16 and under have led to an increase in gambling addictions, radicalisation, bullying, harassment, exposure to sexually explicit content, and exploitation.
Timeline
| 11 Mar 2025 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 11 Sep 2025 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
692
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Opened
11 Mar 2025
Closed
11 Sep 2025
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 27 Jul 2026.