Regulating new technology is never simple, but the status quo offers inadequate protectionThe principle that some products are available to adults and not children is uncontroversial. Access to weapons, alcohol and pornography is curtailed in this way because a level of maturity is the precondition for access (but not a guarantee of responsible use).Until recently, few people put smartphones in that category. The idea of an age restriction on sales would be dismissed as luddism or state-control... Read this story
