Under 16s should be banned from having mobile phones, Tory MP demands
Rishi Sunak should consider banning social media and smartphones for under 16s, a Tory MP has called.
Right-wing Conservative Miriam Cates raised the case of 14-year-old Mia Janin, who is believed to have taken her own life, after claims she was cyber-bullied emerged. Schoolboys allegedly used a group chat to make fun of her on Snapchat, an inquest heard.
Speaking to Mr Sunak at Prime Minister's Questions, Ms Cates said: "This morning the press reported the tragic case of a 14-year-old girl who took her own life following horrific social media bullying, including on TikTok and Snapchat. Since 2010, across the English speaking world, there's been a marked increase in poor teen mental health, teen suicide attempts and children addicted to pornography.
"The United Kingdom has a strong tradition of legislating to protect children from serious threats to their safety and welfare. So does my Right Honourable Friend agree with me that it's time to consider banning social media and perhaps even smartphones for under 16s?"
The PM responded: "My Honourable Friend is absolutely right to highlight the impact of what happens online on our children and that's why our Online Safety Act tackles both criminal activity online and protects children from harmful or inappropriate content such as bullying, or the promotion of self-harm, accessing pornography and also exposure to eating disorders.
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"Ofcom are now rightly developing and consulting on the guidance in the codes and practices for how those platforms will meet their duties. And if they don't clean up their act, then Ofcom will be able to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover on the social media firms."
Mia, a year 10 pupil at the Jewish Free School (JFS) in Kenton, north-west London, was found dead at her family home in Harrow on March 12 2021. In the statements given to the police, her friends said that Mia was bullied by other pupils at the school, and that their friendship group was nicknamed the "suicide squad" in the months leading up to her death. They said that one of Mia's TikToks was shared to a Snapchat group chat run by male pupils at JFS, where they made fun of her.
Ms Cates, who was elected as MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge in 2019, co-founded the right-wing New Conservatives group alongside fellow backbencher Danny Kruger. The group support traditional family values. Ms Cates has said that getting Britain reproducing again is "fundamental to our survival" as she claimed the education system is "destroying children's souls". She has been outspoken in her concern about declining fertility rates in Britain, calling for policies to promote marriage and having children.
In 2021, Ms Cates and Mr Kruger also established the New Social Covenant Unit (NSCU) to promote "families, communities and the nation". Earlier in 2023, the NSCU published a review commissioned by Ms Cates criticising sex education and claiming children were being shown inappropriate material, prompting the Prime Minister to order a review of guidance on the subject. Teaching unions denied Ms Cates' claims, saying there was "no evidence to suggest there is a widespread problem" and calling the review "politically motivated".
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