Kiddipedia
Thereโs a moment in most families when the question arrives. Your child starts walking to school, riding to a mateโs place, or staying back for sport, and you realise you need a way to reach each other. The trouble is, the default answer has always been a smartphone, and for a lot of parents of primary-aged kids, that feels like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
You want your child to be able to call you. You donโt necessarily want to hand a seven- or eight-year-old a device with a camera, a browser, social media and a world of apps attached. For years those two things came bundled together. They donโt have to anymore.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
- A childโs first phone doesnโt have to be a smartphone.
- A screen-free phone can provide communication while limiting access to apps, browsers and social media.
- There is no magic age when every child is automatically ready for a smartphone.
- Readiness is about a childโs maturity, responsibility, circumstances and actual need.
- GPS can provide reassurance, but location tracking is not a substitute for supervision or communication.
- Parents should consider privacy, emergency access, school rules, connectivity and who can contact their child.
- A gradual approach can allow children to develop independence before taking on broader digital access.
The question isnโt really โDoes my child need a phone?โ
For many parents, the real question is slightly different.
โWhat does my child actually need the phone to do?โ
That distinction matters.
A child who walks home from school may genuinely need a reliable way to call Mum or Dad if plans change. A child who catches a bus to sport may need to let a parent know they have arrived. A child who spends weekends with grandparents may simply want the ability to call them independently.
None of those situations automatically requires a web browser, social media, games, an app store or an endless stream of notifications.
Australian research has long shown that mobile phones are already part of many childrenโs lives. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found that, in the 12 months to June 2020, 46% of Australian children aged 6โ13 had used a mobile phone, while one in three owned the mobile phone they used. The research is now several years old, so it should not be treated as a current ownership estimate, but it demonstrates that mobile communication was already becoming part of childhood well before todayโs current smartphone environment.
What has changed is the amount of functionality packed into the average phone.
A phone can now be a telephone, camera, gaming device, entertainment centre, social-media portal, web browser, payment device, navigation tool and location tracker all at once.
So perhaps the better question for parents is:
Does my child need all of that yet?
That is where the idea of a minimum-necessary-technology approach becomes useful.
Rather than moving from no phone straight to full smartphone, families can introduce technology gradually, giving children the functionality they genuinely need at each stage.
The rise of the call-only phone
A growing category of screen-free, call-only phones has stepped neatly into that gap. The idea is simple. Give kids the one thing they actually need, the ability to make and take calls with the people you trust, and leave out everything else. No screen to scroll, no apps to download, no camera, no internet.
One Australian brand leading this space is Waffle, which makes a phone for kids designed to do exactly that and nothing more. Itโs worth understanding how these devices work, because the details are what set them apart from a locked-down smartphone or a smartwatch.
The appeal is not necessarily that technology is bad.
It is that different technologies serve different purposes.
A screen-free phone separates communication from digital entertainment.
That can be a meaningful distinction for families who want their child to begin developing independence without immediately introducing the wider online world.
Australian Government guidance already recognises that smartphones can offer significant benefits while also bringing additional considerations. The eSafety Commissioner advises parents to consider a childโs maturity and critical reasoning skills when deciding whether they are ready for a smartphone, rather than relying on age alone. It also highlights issues including exposure to inappropriate content, apps, location sharing, in-app purchases and unwanted online contact.
That doesn’t mean every child who owns a smartphone will experience those problems.
It simply means parents have more decisions to make when the device does more things.
Why a phone doesnโt have to mean a smartphone
This is perhaps the most important distinction for parents to understand.
A phone and a smartphone are not the same parenting decision.
A basic communication device may answer one question:
โHow can my child reach me when weโre apart?โ
A smartphone introduces a much broader question:
โIs my child ready to navigate the internet, apps, social communication, notifications, digital privacy and everything else that comes with this device?โ
Those are very different levels of independence.
The eSafety Commissioner specifically points out that smartphones can expose children to content parents may not want them to see and that apps can enable messaging, content sharing, video calling, live streaming and location sharing. Its guidance also recommends parental controls, boundaries around use and ongoing conversations between parents and children.
A screen-free phone can therefore be viewed as one possible middle step.
Not forever.
Not necessarily for every child.
Simply as another option.
The minimum-necessary-technology approach
There is something quite reassuring about asking:
What is the least amount of technology my child needs to achieve what they need to do?
For one family, the answer might be no phone yet.
For another, it might be a call-only phone.
For another, a smartwatch might make sense.
And for another child, a smartphone may be appropriate.
The point is not to create another parenting rule that everyone has to follow.
It is to match the technology to the child and the situation.
Think of it as an independence ladder:
No personal device
โ
Parent’s phone when needed
โ
Screen-free/call-only phone
โ
Greater independent communication
โ
More digital functionality
โ
Smartphone and broader digital independence
Children don’t have to climb every rung at the same age.
Two devices for two jobs
Waffle offers two options, and they solve slightly different problems.
The Waffle Go is the portable one, built for kids who are out and about. It has GPS so you can see where your child is, and it runs on a built-in eSIM that connects across multiple mobile networks, so it works without home wifi wherever thereโs coverage. Itโs assigned its own phone number when you activate a plan. For the school walk, the ride to training, the trip to the shops, it means your child can call you when they arrive and again when theyโre heading home, and you get a heads-up when they reach the places youโve set.
The Waffle Home is the one that lives on the kitchen bench. Itโs wifi only, with no SIM and no screen, and it rings out loud like a traditional home phone. Itโs brilliant for households where the kids want to call grandparents, or where a parent working late wants a reliable โIโm home safeโ check-in without a mobile in the mix. Plenty of families end up with both.
Product features, network arrangements, plans and functionality can change, so parents should check Waffleโs current product information, terms, privacy information and coverage details before purchasing.
The bigger idea is that the two devices illustrate something parents often forget:
Communication needs can be different at different stages of childhood.
A child who is still mostly at home may have very different needs from a child who regularly walks to school, catches public transport or spends afternoons moving independently between activities.
Screen-free phone vs smartphone vs smartwatch
For parents standing in the technology aisle wondering what on earth they’re supposed to choose, it can help to strip the decision back to functionality.
| Feature | Screen-free phone | Smartwatch | Smartphone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calls | โ | Device dependent | โ |
| Screen | No | Usually | โ |
| Internet browser | Generally no | Device dependent | Usually |
| Apps | Generally no | Device dependent | โ |
| Social media | No | Device dependent | Available on compatible devices |
| Camera | Generally no | Device dependent | Usually |
| GPS | Device dependent | Often | Usually |
| Location sharing | Device dependent | Often | Often |
| Digital entertainment | Very limited | Device dependent | Extensive |
| Parental controls | Usually simpler | Device dependent | Often extensive |
| Potential distractions | Very limited | Moderate/device dependent | Broad |
The important thing is that more features don’t necessarily mean a better first device.
They simply mean a different device.
Safe by design, not by settings
The part that reassures most parents is that safety isnโt something you have to engineer through a maze of parental controls. Itโs built into what the device is.
Because these are call-only phones, you set a list of approved contacts, the handful of people your child can call. Thereโs no spam, no unknown numbers, no group invitations, and no messaging apps to monitor. Thereโs also nothing to distract your child once the call ends. They ring nan, hang up, and go back to whatever they were doing. For families trying to delay the full smartphone experience, that simplicity is the entire point.
That simplicity can also mean less digital housekeeping for parents.
With a smartphone, parents may need to think about:
- apps
- passwords
- software updates
- social-media accounts
- privacy settings
- browser access
- location permissions
- in-app purchases
- unwanted contacts
- notifications
- screen-time boundaries.
eSafety recommends parents remain involved in their child’s online life, establish boundaries, use parental controls where appropriate, manage location settings and keep communication open.
A screen-free phone does not remove the need to teach children about safety.
But it can reduce the number of digital environments parents need to supervise.
What the research tells us about screens
It is important not to turn this conversation into โscreens are badโ.
The science is considerably more nuanced.
Australiaโs current 24-hour movement guidelines for children and young people aged 5โ17 recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day, minimising prolonged sedentary behaviour and no more than two hours of sedentary recreational screen time per day. The guidelines also recommend 9โ11 hours of sleep for children aged 5โ13 and 8โ10 hours for 14โ17-year-olds, with screens avoided for an hour before sleep and kept out of bedrooms.
The important word is balance.
A screen-free phone does not magically make a child more active, better rested or more responsible.
What it can do is remove one potential source of recreational screen use altogether.
That is a different claim โ and a much more evidence-responsible one.
A first phone doesn’t have to become a screen habit
There is also a simple practical difference between a device that requires a child to look at it and one that allows them to use it and put it away.
A child can make a call, finish the conversation and return to:
- riding their bike
- playing sport
- doing homework
- talking to friends face-to-face
- helping make dinner
- reading
- playing outside
- spending time with family.
This matters because Australian health guidance looks at children’s whole 24-hour day, not simply how many minutes they spend looking at one particular device. Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep all form part of the same picture.
GPS can provide reassurance โ but it isn’t supervision
If a child’s device includes GPS, there is another conversation worth having.
Location technology can be useful. It is not infallible.
Parents should understand:
- where the location information comes from
- how accurate it is likely to be
- when it updates
- what happens when the device has no coverage
- what happens if the battery goes flat
- who can see the location
- whether location information is stored
- whether the child knows they are being located.
The Australian Information Commissioner has specifically identified location data as highly sensitive in the context of children, and its work on children’s online privacy has highlighted the importance of transparency, data minimisation and careful consideration of persistent location monitoring.
That is why a useful family conversation isn’t simply:
โMum can track you.โ
It is:
โThis is how location sharing works, why we’re using it and who can see it.โ
Children deserve to understand the technology being used to keep them connected.
Privacy matters, even when there is no social media
Australia is moving towards stronger protections for children’s online privacy.
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) is developing Australia’s Children’s Online Privacy Code, following legislation passed in 2024. The Code is intended to give children additional privacy protections when online services handle their personal information, including information such as names, phone numbers, school details, photographs and location information. The final Code is due by 10 December 2026.
That broader privacy conversation is relevant even when you’re choosing a child’s first phone.
Parents should ask:
What information does this device collect?
Who has access to it?
Is location information stored?
What information does the parent account require?
What happens to the data if we stop using the service?
This is not about frightening parents.
It is about making privacy part of the buying decision, just as we would consider battery life, cost and coverage.
How to know if your child is ready
A phone, even a simple one, is still a step towards independence, so itโs worth thinking through the timing rather than defaulting to a birthday. A few trusted Australian resources can help you weigh it up.
The eSafety Commissioner offers clear advice for parents on the right age for a device. The Raising Children Network has a practical guide to responsible mobile phone use thatโs useful whichever type of phone you choose, along with a balanced overview of screen time for school-age children. Reading through them tends to make the decision feel less like a guess.
And that is probably the biggest point.
There is no magic birthday.
The eSafety Commissioner says parents are best placed to determine when their child is ready for a smartphone, taking into account maturity and critical reasoning skills. Raising Children Network similarly encourages parents to think about why a child needs a phone, how they will use it and whether they can use it responsibly.
The 10-question first-phone test
Before buying a device, ask yourself:
1. Does my child actually need a phone?
Or are we feeling pressure because other children have one?
2. What problem will the phone solve?
Is it school travel? Sport? After-school activities? Family communication?
3. Who actually needs to contact my child?
Parents? Grandparents? A small group of trusted adults?
4. Does my child need internet access?
This is perhaps the most important question.
5. Can my child follow agreed rules?
A phone works best when a child understands why the rules exist, not simply that Mum or Dad made them.
6. Can they look after the device?
Can they remember to charge it, bring it with them and keep track of it?
7. Do they know what to do if something goes wrong?
Including losing the phone, receiving an unexpected call or becoming separated from a parent.
8. Does my child understand privacy?
They should know not to casually share their address, school, passwords or other personal information.
9. What does their school allow?
Check the school’s current policy rather than assuming.
10. Am I choosing this device because my child needs it โ or because everyone else has one?
That final question can be surprisingly revealing.
What children should know before they get their first phone
A phone is only as useful as the child using it.
Before handing one over, teach them:
Who they can call.
When they should call.
What to do if an unexpected person calls.
What personal information they should keep private.
What to do if the phone is lost.
How to contact a parent or trusted adult.
How to make an emergency call.
When they should tell you something has happened.
The goal isn’t to make a child fearful of the world.
It is to make them confident enough to know what to do when something unexpected happens.
Teach the child, not just the phone
This is one of the most important things parents can do.
A sophisticated GPS system cannot teach a child what to do if they miss their bus.
A contact list cannot decide whether something is an emergency.
A parental-control setting cannot replace a conversation.
And no device can guarantee that a child will always be safe.
The technology should support the child’s skills โ not replace them.
Teach your child how to call 000
Australia’s Triple Zero service is the primary emergency number for police, fire and ambulance in life-threatening or time-critical situations. The national Triple Zero program specifically provides educational resources for primary-school-aged children because knowing how and when to call 000 is considered an important life skill.
Teach your child to:
Call 000 when there is a serious emergency requiring police, fire or ambulance assistance.
When they call:
- Stay calm.
- Say whether they need Police, Fire or Ambulance.
- Tell the operator where they are.
- Explain what has happened.
- Stay on the line and answer questions.
Triple Zero guidance also makes an important point for parents considering mobile devices: if there is no mobile coverage on any network, a mobile phone cannot reach the Emergency Call Service.
So even with a connected device, children should know their location and understand how to ask for help.
What about school?
This is one area parents should never assume.
School policies vary and can change.
For example, Victorian government schools currently require students who bring mobile phones to school to have them switched off and securely stored during school hours, subject to specified exceptions. The Victorian policy defines a mobile phone broadly as a telephone with access to a cellular telecommunications system. The policy does not apply during travel to and from school, although individual school policies may contain additional requirements.
Victoria is also moving towards greater device-free learning time. From 2027, Victorian government primary schools will not invite or allow families to purchase or bring their own student digital devices for primary students to use at school in Years Fโ6, subject to the policy’s requirements and exceptions.
For families elsewhere in Australia, the rules may be different.
Always check your child’s school and state or territory education requirements before sending a device to school.
What if all their friends have smartphones?
This can be the hardest part.
Because sometimes the phone conversation isn’t really about the phone.
It’s about:
โEveryone else has one.โ
Your child may genuinely worry about being left out of conversations, activities or friendships.
Raising Children Network recognises that social connection can be one of the reasons children want a mobile phone, including concerns about being excluded from conversations or activities.
That doesn’t mean parents have to hand over a smartphone simply because other families have.
You can acknowledge the feeling without agreeing to the device.
Try:
โI understand why you want one. You’re getting older and we know you want more independence. We’re happy for you to have a way to contact us, but we’re not ready for everything that comes with a smartphone yet.โ
That conversation can change over time.
The important thing is that โnot yetโ doesn’t have to mean โnever.โ
A first phone can be a stepping stone โ without being a smartphone
One of the most useful ways to think about a first phone is as scaffolding.
In education, scaffolding means giving someone enough support to develop a skill before gradually reducing that support as their ability grows.
Technology can work in a similar way.
A child might first learn:
How to communicate independently.
Then:
How to manage a device responsibly.
Then:
How to make decisions about digital information.
Then:
How to manage online communication and privacy.
Eventually, they may be ready for much broader digital independence.
There is no requirement for every family to follow exactly the same path.
Screen-free phone vs smartwatch: what should parents consider?
A smartwatch can also provide communication and location features without necessarily offering the same experience as a smartphone.
But smartwatches vary enormously.
Some include:
- messaging
- cameras
- apps
- games
- internet connectivity
- notifications
- music
- social functions.
So the same question applies:
What does this particular device actually allow my child to do?
Don’t buy according to the word kids on the packaging.
Look at the functionality.
What about a locked-down smartphone?
This is another legitimate option.
Some parents prefer to buy a smartphone and restrict it heavily.
That can provide flexibility, particularly if a child needs functions such as:
- accessibility tools
- maps
- school-related applications
- video communication
- specific communication services.
But it also means parents need to understand what remains accessible and how the restrictions work.
A locked-down smartphone is still fundamentally a smartphone.
A call-only device takes a different approach by removing many of those functions altogether.
What a screen-free phone can and can’t do
It can potentially provide:
Connection
Your child can contact trusted people.
Independence
They can communicate without borrowing Mum or Dad’s phone.
Reassurance
Parents can have a direct way of checking in.
Simplicity
There are fewer functions to manage.
Less recreational screen exposure
There is no screen to scroll through when there isn’t a call to make.
It cannot provide:
Constant supervision
Guaranteed location accuracy
Guaranteed network coverage
Protection from every possible risk
A substitute for teaching children what to do in an emergency
That distinction is important.
Myth vs Fact
MYTH: A child needs a smartphone if they need a phone.
FACT: A communication need does not automatically mean a child needs internet, apps or social media access.
MYTH: There is one correct age for a first phone.
FACT: Australian guidance emphasises individual factors including maturity, critical reasoning, responsibility and the reason the phone is needed.
MYTH: GPS means parents always know exactly where their child is.
FACT: Location technology has limitations, and parents should understand how location is collected, updated and shared.
MYTH: A screen-free phone eliminates every digital safety issue.
FACT: Children still need to understand privacy, unexpected calls, personal information and emergency procedures.
MYTH: If everyone else’s child has a smartphone, mine needs one too.
FACT: Families can make technology decisions based on their own child’s circumstances and readiness.
MYTH: Giving a child a phone means they are ready for the online world.
FACT: Communication and online independence are separate skills.
The privacy question parents should ask
Before buying any connected device for a child, ask:
What data does it collect?
Does it collect location information?
Who can access that information?
Where is the information stored?
How long is it retained?
Can the account be deleted?
Can I control who can contact my child?
These questions are becoming increasingly important in Australia.
The OAIC’s work on the Children’s Online Privacy Code reflects a broader shift towards recognising that children’s personal information needs particular protection online. The draft Code includes protections relating to children’s best interests, data collection, targeted advertising and deletion of personal information.
The final Code is expected by 10 December 2026, making children’s digital privacy a particularly relevant issue for Australian families right now.
Before you buy: the parent checklist
โ What does my child actually need the device for?
โ Does it require internet access?
โ Does it have a screen?
โ Does it have a camera?
โ Can apps be installed?
โ Who can call my child?
โ Who can my child call?
โ Does it provide location information?
โ Who can see that location?
โ What happens if the battery goes flat?
โ What happens if there is no mobile coverage?
โ Can my child contact emergency services?
โ What information does the company collect?
โ What happens to that information if we stop using the device?
โ Is the device permitted at school?
โ Does my child know how to use it responsibly?
โ Have we talked about privacy and unexpected callers?
Our family first-phone agreement
Rather than making rules up as problems occur, sit down with your child and agree on them together.
Our phone rules
Who can contact me:
Who I can call:
When I can use my phone:
Where my phone stays at night:
Who charges my phone:
What I do if someone unexpected calls:
What I do if I lose my phone:
What I do if something makes me uncomfortable:
When I should call Mum, Dad or another trusted adult:
What I know about calling 000:
The aim isn’t to create a contract that a child can fail.
It is to make sure everyone understands the expectations before the phone becomes part of everyday life.
What parents sometimes forget
It is easy to spend hours comparing phones and forget to teach the child the basics.
Before your child heads off independently, make sure they know:
Their own phone number.
Your phone number.
Their home address.
How to contact another trusted adult.
What to do if plans change.
What to do if the phone is lost.
When to call 000.
How to explain where they are.
That they should tell you if something feels wrong.
Those skills may ultimately be more important than the device itself.
The emotional side of that first phone
There is another reason the first phone can be meaningful.
It isn’t only about parents being able to find their child.
It can be about a child learning to reach out independently.
Calling Nan.
Checking in with Dad.
Calling Mum after soccer.
Telling a grandparent about something exciting that happened at school.
Asking a parent for help.
These are tiny acts, but they are also little moments of independence.
A first phone can become less about surveillance and more about connection.
And sometimes, the simplest technology is enough
There is a temptation in modern technology to assume that if a device can do more, it must be better.
But children don’t necessarily need more technology.
Sometimes they need the right amount of technology.
If the actual need is:
โI need to be able to call Mum.โ
then a device designed primarily for calling may solve that problem without introducing a whole collection of additional ones.
That doesn’t make a screen-free phone right for every child.
It simply makes it another option worth considering.
When a screen-free phone might not be enough
There will be children and families for whom a basic communication device isn’t the right fit.
A child may need:
- a particular accessibility function
- messaging
- video calling
- maps
- a school application
- medical or communication technology
- broader internet access for a legitimate reason.
In those circumstances, parents can look at other options and consider how much access is appropriate.
The important thing is to choose the functionality first and the device second.
The bottom line
For a lot of Australian families, a screen-free phone turns out not to be a stepping stone before the โrealโ phone. Itโs the actual answer for the primary years. Kids get a genuine taste of independence, walking to school, ringing a grandparent, calling a friend up the road, and parents get the reassurance of staying connected without handing over everything a smartphone brings with it.
If your child is edging towards more independence and youโve been dreading the phone conversation, itโs worth knowing the screen-free option exists. Sometimes the simplest device really is the smartest one.
And perhaps that is the bigger lesson.
The goal isn’t to keep children away from technology forever.
It is to introduce technology at a level that matches their independence.
A child doesn’t need to have every digital door opened simply because they are old enough to walk through one.
Sometimes, the first step is simply being able to call home.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age should a child get their first phone?
There is no single age that applies to every child. Australian guidance encourages parents to consider factors such as maturity, critical reasoning, responsibility and the reason the child needs a phone.
Is a screen-free phone better than a smartphone?
The more useful question is which device provides the functions your child actually needs. A screen-free phone may suit a child who primarily needs calling and family communication, while another child may have legitimate reasons for needing additional functions.
Can children use a screen-free phone for emergencies?
This depends on the particular device, service and network. Parents should check the manufacturer’s emergency-calling information rather than assuming every device works in exactly the same way.
Triple Zero (000) is Australia’s primary emergency number for life-threatening or time-critical emergencies.
Does a child need internet access to have a phone?
No. A phone can be designed primarily for voice communication without providing general internet access.
Can GPS replace supervision?
No. GPS can provide useful location information, but parents should understand its limitations, including coverage, battery life and accuracy. Location information also raises important privacy considerations for children.
Should my child take their phone to school?
Check the individual school’s current policy. Rules differ between jurisdictions and school systems. For example, Victorian government schools currently require student mobile phones brought to school to be switched off and securely stored during school hours, subject to exceptions.
What should I teach my child before giving them a phone?
Start with communication and safety skills: who they can call, what information they should keep private, what to do if an unexpected person contacts them, how to respond if the phone is lost and when to call 000.
What if my child’s friends all have smartphones?
Talk about the reason your child wants one rather than dismissing the request. Social connection can genuinely be a factor in children’s desire for a phone.
You can acknowledge that desire while deciding what level of technology fits your own child.
Can a screen-free phone help delay smartphone ownership?
It can provide a communication alternative without automatically introducing the broader functionality of a smartphone. It should not, however, be presented as a guaranteed way to prevent later smartphone use.
What should parents consider before buying a child’s phone?
Consider what the device can actually do, who can contact your child, connectivity, emergency access, location features, privacy, school requirements, cost and whether your child is ready to use it responsibly.
Australian resources and references
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Kids and mobiles: How Australian children are using mobile phones. Australian Government. The report examines mobile-phone use and ownership among Australian children aged 6โ13 and provides historical Australian data through June 2020.
eSafety Commissioner. Smartphones. Australian Government. Guidance for parents covering smartphone readiness, online content, apps, location sharing, privacy, parental controls and healthy boundaries.
Raising Children Network. Responsible mobile phone use: kids & teens. Australian parenting resource developed with Australian child-health and parenting expertise, including considerations around why a child wants a phone, responsible use, charging, costs and family rules.
Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. 24-hour movement guidelines for all Australians. Current Australian guidance covering physical activity, sedentary behaviour, recreational screen time and sleep for children and young people.
Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Australian 24-hour movement guidelines for children (5 to 12 years) and young people (13 to 17 years). Evidence review underpinning Australia’s movement guidelines.
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Children’s Online Privacy Code. Australian privacy framework being developed to provide additional protections for children’s personal information handled by relevant online services. The final Code is due by 10 December 2026.
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). Privacy risks and harms for children and other vulnerable groups online. Australian privacy research examining risks associated with children’s personal and location information.
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). 2025 global privacy sweep puts websites and apps used by children under the microscope. Australian regulatory findings concerning children’s online privacy and data collection.
Australian Government Triple Zero. Triple Zero (000). National information about when and how to call Australia’s emergency services and limitations affecting mobile emergency calls.
Triple Zero Kids’ Challenge. Australian educational resource designed to teach kindergarten and primary-school-aged children how to identify emergencies and call Triple Zero appropriately.
Victorian Department of Education. Mobile Phones โ Student Use: Policy. Current Victorian government-school requirements concerning mobile-phone storage and use during school hours.
Victorian Department of Education. Digital Learning: Policy. Current and forthcoming Victorian government-school requirements concerning student use of digital devices, including changes applying to primary schools from 2027.
Before You Make the Call
Product features, pricing, network coverage, plans, privacy arrangements and school policies can change. Always check the manufacturer’s current information and your child’s school or education department before making a purchase or sending a device to school.
Most importantly, a first phone is not simply a technology purchase.
It is one small step in the much bigger journey of teaching a child how to become independent while still knowing when to reach back to Mum or Dad.
