Minister accepts our petition... but still has his doubts

THE Communications Minister yesterday accepted a petition signed by hundreds of this newspaper’s readers calling for an age restriction on smartphone ownership.

Denis Naughten, who yesterday launched the Open Policy Debate dealing with online safety for children, was presented by our reporter with a folder containing hundreds of handsigned petitions.

These were posted to our offices in Dublin by concerned citizens who believe an age restriction should be introduced for children owning smartphones.

More than 500 Irish Daily Mail readers signed a petition and posted it back to our headquarters, while more than 1,100 people signed an online version of the petition. While he accepted the petition, Minister Naughten expressed doubts about such a proposals, questioning who would be prosecuted for breach of such a law: however supporters have made clear that the only penalty for underage smartphone ownership would be confiscation of the device. Similarly, gardaí can confiscate alcohol from under-age drinkers.

Moreover, proponents of the measure argue that once it became law it would largely be self-policing as parents would simply not buy the devices for children.

Experts including Apple’s own shareholders, agree that policing smartphones should not be left to parents alone. In a recent poll, 69% of Irish adults supported a legal minimum age for smartphone ownership.