EE to launch phone plans which restrict internet for teens

EE is introducing new phone plans next month which it says will restrict the internet for teens – so long as they don’t use wi-fi.

Its new Sim-only mobile plans will filter the web at different levels depending on the age of the child using it, with three separate tiers of protections.

The plans will also have other features such as reduced internet speeds for younger teens to “limit streaming”, as well as protecting against scam calls.

But EE can only control what is accessed by using mobile data using its network – meaning it cannot filter content accessed via wi-fi, which is operated separately.

The mobile network operator, which has 25m customers, says it is the UK’s first major network to introduce smartphone plans for under-18s.

Firms operating mobile networks in the UK are already required by the regulator Ofcom to ensure only adults can access adult content while using their network.

They do this by filtering and blocking access to websites deemed 18+ according to the British Board of Film Classification.

This can mean attempting to visit a platform such as a porn site using a 4G or 5G connection, rather than wi-fi, can result in the page not displaying.

Users are typically required to verify that they are an adult – and the account holder – through a credit card check or by logging into their account online to change their settings.

Despite EE’s content restrictions not applying to content viewed using wi-fi, the firm believes its new plans still provide teen smartphone users and parents with more protections.

Its Sim-only plans will be available for use on all smartphones and start from £7 per month, when launched in August.

EE’s three tiers offer different levels of protections depending on the age of the user, with its “protected” plan for pre-teens having “strict” controls while its “guided” and “trusted” plans for older teens having “moderate” controls for web access.

Each of the plans also has protections against receiving scam calls.

“As the UK’s best network for families, we understand that while smartphones offer many benefits to people, there are also very real risks and challenges, especially for young people,” said Claire Gillies, head of the consumer division of BT, which owns EE.

“As a parent of a teenager, I too have had to balance the benefits and challenges that come with giving our children their first smartphone.”

As well as its different plans for children, EE is offering in-store appointments for families to receive guidance about using smartphones safely.

It will also launch a resource it says can help parents navigate conversations with children about owning a phone.

“Many parents tell us that they are overwhelmed when it comes to online safety for their children, and don’t know where to start,” said Carolyn Bunting MBE, head of children’s safety charity Internet Matters.

She said they were “positive steps to support families” and told the BBC the plans could be more effective than banning teens from platforms altogether.

“If we just ban kids there is no impetus for the tech companies to create safe spaces,” she Ms Bunting.

It comes after a range of sites operating in the UK were required to start checking the age of users on Friday.