Select committee: Education Committee
Recommendation 21
Fourth Report - Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing
Published 25 May 2024
Paragraph 105
Addressed to Department for Education
Education Committee Screen Time: Impacts on education and wellbeing All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Although we welcome attempts by Ofcom to make platforms safer for children who use them, it is clear that the entire system surrounding the digital age of consent and how it is verified is not fit for purpose. Until there are robust age verification measures used on social media platforms, the digital age of consent will have little to no impact on protecting the data of underage users. Now is also the time for a broader debate on the adequacy of the digital age of consent. The age of consent in the UK is 16, a child cannot drive until they are 17 and cannot vote in England 50 Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing until they are 18. We have heard no evidence to suggest that 13 is an appropriate age for children to understand the implications of allowing platforms access to their personal data online. Yet we know even with the digital age of consent currently formally set at the lowest possible level, it is widely ignored and not effectively enforced. This must change urgently.
From: Education Committee, Fourth Report - Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing (HC 118), paragraph 105, 25 May 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 22 May 2025 (deadline 25 July 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government recognises the Committee's concerns about screen time and says it is taking action, while stating that further evidence is needed in some areas and that it has set out how all recommendations will be carefully considered.
- On a statutory mobile phone ban in schools, the government says one is "not necessary" because survey evidence suggests schools are following the existing non-statutory guidance, and it will keep surveying schools to inform whether further action is needed.
- On banning smartphones for under 16s, it says there is "a lack of robust and causal evidence" to support this, and that it is building the evidence.
- On a consultation on the digital age of consent, the government says it "will give further consideration" to the recommendation and recognises the importance of keeping the area under review.
- On the Online Safety Act, it states that the child safety duties regime "should be fully in effect by summer 2025", subject to the draft codes passing parliamentary scrutiny once laid.