Child safety: Poland plans to ban mobile phone use by under-16s over harmful impact of social media

As the world is moving forward to restrict children from social media in the wake of harmful impact, Poland has also planned to ban the use of mobile phones by under-16s in schools from September 1, 2026.

The education minister said on Wednesday, joining a growing list of countries moving to limit children's screen time and social media use.

Countries including the Netherlands, South Korea and Italy have banned smartphones in schools due to concerns over their impact on concentration and behavior.

Others have banned or are considering banning children's access to social media.

"We are currently finalizing work on a major legislative change, crucial for schools, which will result ‌in a ban on mobile phone use in primary schools from September 1, 2026," Barbara Nowacka told reporters.

In Poland, children aged 7-15 attend primary school.

Nowacka said using phones in school "cannot be the norm because we see how dependent children are on the internet."

In February, Nowacka outlined plans to ban children under 15 from using social media, opening the door to a potential clash with major U.S. tech firms.

Recently, the UK has also observed a social media restriction trial for children under 16.

Notably, Australia was the first country to impose complete social media restrictions for underage children over safety concerns.