5 things in online safety you shouldn't miss

← Back to Blog

Things have been moving fast. Most parents care deeply about online safety but have little time to read everything landing this thick and this fast, so here's a summary of five stories from the last few months, and what they've got to do with Brickify.

1. A message-scanning app opened a loophole of its own

SafeToNet, a UK parental monitoring app, was warned by its own lawyers that its message-scanning technology could breach the Investigatory Powers Act. It's a reminder that tracking software carries its own legal and privacy exposure, not just the risk it's trying to guard against.

Source: The Register

2. Schools are moving to smartphone-free, and the pact is spreading fast

I was an independent chair on a complaints process at my local high school, and I'd estimate around 80% of the in-school issues that came across my desk were made worse by phones. So I'm glad to see so many schools moving to a smartphone-free model. The Smartphone Free Childhood Parent Pact has now been signed for over 190,000 children across more than half of UK schools. It does raise a real challenge, though, for kids who commute long distances or for schools that had already gone all in on edtech.

Source: Smartphone Free Childhood

3. Meta's addiction lawsuit settled for up to $18 billion

The lawsuit alleging Meta's social media products were unsafe and addictive for kids in the US has settled. Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion and to make changes to Facebook and Instagram, resolving claims brought by 51 attorneys general. If YouTube and TikTok make similar changes, the fine amount may vary so that Meta isn't left with a worse competitive position for having settled first. By most accounts, people around Silicon Valley were relieved the number wasn't higher. No admission of guilt was made as part of the settlement.

Sources: NBC News, Al Jazeera

4. Even brick phone advocates are questioning brick phones

Smartphone Free Childhood did a huge amount of work getting the under-16 social media ban over the line in the UK, and their site signposts parents toward brick phones as one option. Interestingly, even they're now questioning whether a brick phone is really the right fix, versus a smartphone with the internet switched off. It's a fair question, and honestly, it's close to what Brickify is trying to do: keep the phone your child already knows how to use, but strip it back to only what you've agreed on, on a schedule you control.

Sources: Smartphone Free Childhood FAQ, The Off Switch

5. The UK's under-16 social media ban is confirmed

The UK government confirmed a ban on social media for under-16s on 15 June 2026, following the same broad model as Australia. I've noticed a lot less of a public "hoo-hah" about it than there was when Australia announced theirs. When I first started working on Big Sister, I actually thought a ban was the wrong approach myself, until I did more testing, saw first-hand how dangerous parts of the online world can be for kids, and changed my mind.

Source: gov.uk

Where Brickify fits into all of this

Brickify turns any smart phone into a brick phone, on your own schedule. Here's how it lines up against the five things above:

It doesn't track your kids. Everything runs on-device, so the legal and privacy exposure that caught SafeToNet out doesn't apply here. Brickify blocks apps; it doesn't read messages, browsing history, or location.
It helps schools' phone bans actually stick, without going all or nothing. Profiles can be set up for travel, for the school day, and for being more open at other times, all on a schedule you set, rather than relying on a child to comply out of goodwill.
It's a real tech detox, not a resolution you have to keep. Set it up once and it runs on schedule automatically, so you're not depending on willpower while the social media companies slowly catch up with the new rules coming their way.
It's better value than a dedicated brick phone. A basic brick phone typically costs £10 to £15 and does one job. Brickify is a one-time £4.99 purchase that turns a smartphone you already own into the same thing, with the added benefit of switching automatically to a more open profile on your schedule as your child earns more trust, no manual swapping required.
It supports the social media ban, but it's still a step, not the whole answer. Brickify still relies on a parent to set it up and decide what's allowed. It won't do the job on its own, but it's a genuine step along the way.

→ Why Brickify, versus Screen Time or Family Controls → Browse setup guides → Support & contact