Some of those in favour of smartphones say they provide good opportunities for child development, including socialising, and there is little evidence supporting restrictions of devices in schools.

Mr MacAlister is using the bill to call for:

a legal requirement for all schools to be mobile-free zones

the age online companies can receive data consent from children without permission from parents to be raised from 13 to 16

Ofcom’s powers to be strengthened so it can enforce a code of conduct to prevent children being exposed to apps and services “addictive by design”

further regulation of the design, supply, marketing and use of mobile phones by under-16s, if needed

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EE, which is owned by BT, said it aims to improve children's "digital wellbeing" after receiving increasing requests for guidance from parents.

It said that under-11s should be given "non-smart" devices that have similar capabilities as old brick phones.

The recommendation - announced for the start of the new school year - comes amid growing concern about the effects of smartphone and internet usage on children's mental health and behaviour.

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Smartphone Free Childhood is a parent-led movement on a mission to protect millions of children from the dangers of using smartphones too young.

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Contrary to printed, online and social media - this report does not ban mobile phones in schools.

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Every minute of every day, everywhere on the planet, dozens of companies — largely unregulated, little scrutinized — are logging the movements of tens of millions of people with mobile phones and storing the information in gigantic data files.

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