Poland to ban phones in schools, restrict access to pornography

Poland wants to ban under-16s from using ​mobile phones in schools from September ​1 and plans to introduce stricter ‌age verification ​rules to access pornography, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.

Poland wants to ban under-16s from using ​mobile phones in schools from September ​1 and plans to introduce stricter ‌age verification ​rules to access pornography, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday. Countries including the Netherlands, South Korea and Italy have banned smartphones ‌in schools due to concerns over their impact on concentration and behaviour. Others have banned - or are considering banning - children's access to social media. The proposed bill would ban children aged 7-15 from ‌using phones on school premises, including breaks between classes, and give schools legal bases for creating ‌deposits to store phones.

"We propose a ban on cell phone use in primary schools during lessons and breaks ... We are convinced that parents and teachers should have such a tool," Tusk said. "We have a civilizational problem ⁠of ​addiction of virtually everyone, especially ⁠the youngest, to platforms, games, etc. We realize that this can have disastrous consequences for children's lives and for ⁠the country."

A separate bill proposed by the minister for digital affairs would impose new obligations on websites ​offering pornography so as to restrict children's access. The age verification mechanism cannot be based ⁠on age declarations, biometric data, or data about the user's online activity but must be designed in accordance with privacy ⁠and personal ​data protection requirements, the government said earlier in a justification to the bill. In February, Education Minister Barbara Nowacka also outlined plans to ban children under 15 from using social ⁠media, opening the door to a potential clash with major U.S. tech firms.

Tech companies argue the ⁠focus should be ⁠on how devices are used rather than outright bans, with parental controls and other targeted restrictions available. They also point to benefits of smartphones for ‌learning, communication ‌and safety.