A new bill from the UK government could force social media companies to exclude teenagers from their targeted algorithms, in an effort to make social media content less addictive for under-16s.

Ministers will discuss the safer phones bill, which was pitched by  Labour MP Josh MacAlister, this week, as it has already received backing from both major parties and child protection advocates.

Not only would the bill implement possible restrictions on algorithms directed towards teens, but it would also require the government to review phone sales to teenagers. Ministers would review if technological safeguards would be required to automatically be uploaded on phones sold to those under 16.

While some of the provisions have been met with support, as ministers look to see if they are compatible with the Online Safety Act, there is more opposition to any restrictions on the sale of phones to teenagers.

The bill will be introduced on Wednesday this week (16 October), and though private member’s bills often receive amendments before they are set into law, it may be adopted if it wins enough support.

“The evidence is mounting that children doomscrolling for hours a day is causing widespread harm,” MacAlister said.

“We need the equivalent of the ‘seatbelt’ legislation for social media use for children.

“Parents are in an impossible bind over whether to ostracise their child from social media or expose them to the harms and addiction of content. Countries around the world are now taking bold action and our children risk being left behind.”

While the ban on phone sales is the most contested platform in the bill, other propositions are less controversial.

The bill also proposes raising the age of adulthood on the internet from 13 to 16, which would change the age at which companies can source data consent from children without explicit permission from parents.

This would make it harder for companies to use children’s data to create targeted algorithms which have contributed to doomscrolling and a dependency on social media.

Numerous lawsuits have been levied against social media giants for their addictive nature and targeting on teens, with many pointing to their advanced algorithms keeping kids glued to their phones, with adverse affects to their mental health.

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The Safer Phones bill envisions strict regulations to keep social media firms at bay, proposing a legal ban to mobile phones in schools, though the UK government has not said there are currently any plans to back a ban.

The bill would also look to extend Ofcom’s growing regulatory powers, giving the watchdog the ability to enforce better age verification methods from social media platforms.

MacAlister and supporters of the bill, which include Samaritans, Mind, and the Molly Rose Foundation, are urging the government to reclassify smaller websites that promote harmful content – such as suicide or eating disorders – to be classified as higher risk under the law.