• The school witnessed the spread of violent and pornographic clips on students’ phones
• Lawyers called for a legal review to protect pupils from psychological and social harm

A 17-year-old girl filed a lawsuit against the UK government after being exposed to shocking clips on her classmates’ phones during the school day, which included scenes of violence and pornography

The student, Flossie MacShia from Devon, explained that she received threats at school and is seeking a judicial review to ban smartphones in order to protect students from harmful content

The case began last July when two lawyers informed the Department for Education of their intention to take legal action against current guidelines, which allow school principals to regulate phone use freely, describing them as “illegal and unsafe for children

Flossie MacShia shared that she regularly received violent clips, including a video of two children playing with a firearm that killed one of them, leaving a deep psychological impact on her

Joining the case was Katy Moore, a mother of three from Northampton, who said her daughter was exposed to pornographic content on students’ phones

The plaintiffs’ lawyer, James Gardner, pointed out that the government is aware of the psychological and social harm students face due to smartphones, but it has not responded to calls for a full ban, increasing risks to children within schools