Poland Proposes School Phone Ban and Adult Content Age Verification in Sweeping New Legislation

The Polish government has approved legislation that would prohibit students under the age of 16 from using mobile phones and smartwatches throughout the school day, including during breaks and after-class activities. The bill requires parliamentary approval and presidential endorsement before enactment. Under the proposed rules, students could still bring their devices but would be required to store them in designated school locations until departure time.

Teachers, school staff, and students with medical conditions, disabilities, or special needs would be exempt from the restriction. Students could also request permission to use their devices in emergency situations. If passed, the legislation would take effect on September 1 of the upcoming school year.

“We propose a ban on the use of mobile phones during classes and breaks in primary schools,” stated Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “This is not a perfect solution, we have no illusions about that, but we must address this serious problem, which is addiction to phones and the internet.”

The proposal aligns Poland with nations including Italy and South Korea, which have implemented similar restrictions. Italy introduced comprehensive phone bans in 2024, while South Korea enforced restrictions in March of this year. Research from the Netherlands indicated that phone bans in classrooms improved student concentration and school social dynamics.

Concurrently, Poland has approved separate legislation requiring websites offering adult content to implement age verification systems. This follows precedent set by the United Kingdom, which became the first country to mandate age verification for online pornography in 2019, with subsequent adoption by various regions and U.S. states.

Source link