Digital safety: Poland to ban mobile phones in schools to restrict access to pornography

Poland moves forward to implement digital restrictions on children as it plans to ban the use of mobile phones by under-16s in schools from September 1, 2026.

Several ‌European nations are seeking to rein in children's use of social media after Australia took the lead with a world-first ban on under-16s in December last year.

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

"The reasons for introducing an age limit nevertheless outweigh the benefits of continued free access to this type of media," Swedish investigator Lisa Englund Krafft told a news conference with Social Affairs and Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed.

A ban can be formulated in a way that the platform companies would be responsible for the task of age verification, ‌she said.

In Sweden, there is currently a limit of 13 years for when children must have parental consent to create accounts on social media.

"We are losing an entire generation to endless scrolling," Forssmed told the press conference. "Screens and social media and their impact on the health of children and young people is one of the biggest challenges of our time."

As referred to Norway, the neighboring country's government said in April it plans to submit a bill to parliament by year-end on banning social media use by under-16s.

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.

On the contrary the Polish government says the measures aim to improve child online safety and reduce exposure to harmful digital content

While updating upon the mobile ban, the Polish government said earlier in a justification to the bill that age verification mechanisms 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.