‘Safe’ smartphone for children blocks harmful content automatically

The first smartphone for children co-designed by parents will be able to detect and remove harmful content before it reaches the user.

The Fusion X1 is the initial product from the Better Phone Project, a collaboration between the manufacturer HMD and parents to design a safer device.

It is targeted to be a “first” phone for children aged nine to eleven and will have parental controls built in that the makers believe will be harder to evade.

It will also be the first smartphone to install SafeToNet software that automatically detects and blocks harmful content before it reaches the user.

The Fusion is the latest device that aims to bridge the gap between smart and “dumb” phones as concern grows over the impact of devices on children. Others include Pinwheel, which has been launched in the UK, and the US-based Gabb and Bark phones.

The Fusion will have controls that restrict browsing, messaging and social media apps and has GPS tracking and “safety zones” so that parents are alerted when children leave certain areas.

It will be launched in May and priced between £200 and £250. The parental controls are provided by Xplora, a Norwegian company, which charges a subscription starting from €4.99 (about £4) per month. They are built into the Android operating system.

SafeToNet, developed by a British cybersecurity company, is expected to be rolled out on the device in the summer.

Lars Silberbauer, chief marketing officer of HMD (Human Mobile Devices), said: “It’s not a silver bullet but it’s a start to hopefully give people an option where they can pick something different.”

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More than half of children have been regularly contacted online by someone they do not know, according to a global survey carried out by HMD.

The study, which included a survey of 25,000 children and adults in the UK, US, Germany, India, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, also found that one in three children had been encouraged to take conversations to private platforms, 40 per cent of children had been sent sexual or violent content and 52 per cent of children felt they were addicted to their screens.

The Fusion X1 is designed to address this by having a safe messaging system where children can only be phoned or contacted by numbers approved by parents. Downloading social media and messaging apps will be restricted.

James Robinson, senior vice-president at HMD, said: “It’s not an application that sits on top of the device that the kids can find a workaround for. We’re baking it into the operating system. It’s not an application that can be removed or uninstalled or anything like that.”

The safety zones could include school and the homes of friends or family members and parents will get an alert if the child leaves the area. HMD says this provides parents with reassurance without having to constantly keep track of their children.

HMD has committed to launching two devices in 2025 as part of the Better Phone Project — a year-long collaboration.

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Alison Winsborough, assistant principal at Atlantic Academy in Dorset, said: “It is a difficult line to tread as a parent: allowing your child some independence whilst hoping they are able to make grown-up choices. Whether it be the time a phone should be put away ahead of bedtime, avoiding the ping of notifications distracting from homework or knowing that your child is where you think they are, I am excited that there will now be a phone that has built in as standard the features that safeguard our kids.”

Joe Ryrie, co-founder of the campaign group Smartphone Free Childhood, said: “As parents around the world continue to voice concerns about the impact of smartphones on children, it’s encouraging to see manufacturers like HMD stepping up with new, more child-friendly options. While there’s still a long way to go, we’re excited to see the innovation unfolding in this space and our community will be watching closely as they roll out more products in the near future.”