I wouldn’t give my daughter a smartphone until she was 11, says Samsung boss

A SAMSUNG boss refused to give his daughter a smartphone until she was 11.

James Kitto, the company’s head of mobile in the UK and Ireland, said he wanted to keep them safe online.

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It comes days after research showed one in ten nine-year-olds had been exposed to adult content when using mobile phones and computers.

Mr Kitto told the BBC’s Today programme: “The important thing here is that anyone using a smartphone, regardless of age, is safe when surfing the internet.

“From my personal point of view, my daughter got a smartphone when she was 11.

“No matter what age you make this choice for your child, it’s important to ensure that when they do access the internet, they are accessing it in a safe manner.”

Earlier this week, a survey for the Children’s Commissioner for England found that a quarter of children had been exposed to porn by the age of 11 and half had seen it by the age of 13.

Such exposure has been linked to low self-esteem in young people and harmful views about sex and relationships.

Telecoms regulator Ofcom says all phone providers offer free parental control services to limit what children can see on the internet.