EE, a UK based mobile network operator, will have new family plans that limit internet usage for teenagers - as long as they don’t use Wi-Fi.

BBC:

Its new Sim-only mobile plans will filter the web at different levels depending on the age of the child using it, with three separate tiers of protections.

The plans will also have other features such as reduced internet speeds for younger teens to "limit streaming", as well as protecting against scam calls.

But EE can only control what is accessed by using mobile data using its network - meaning it cannot filter content accessed via wi-fi, which is operated separately.

Sounds like a way to profit off of parents’ fears and desire to do what’s right for their kids, but the uptake of many of these parental controls is really slim. Even on iPhone, setting up Screen Time and Parental Controls is cumbersome, and it took several tries for me to get things right for my kids. It also doesn’t help that you have to remember another 4-digit passcode.

I’m not alone in this battle:

EE ambassador and TV presenter Konnie Huq said at a launch event for the new plans she felt "like her mum in the old days" - who she recalled struggling to work the family's TV remote controls.

Meta, which owns Instagram and WhatsApp, says take-up of its numerous parental controls is relatively low.

Technology analyst Paolo Pescatore told the BBC that EE's plans are "a huge step in the right direction" but implementation of such controls "is no easy feat."

The best option really is to use on-device tools or a third party tool that works cross-platform and master that one app. For me, that’s Screen Time and Parental Controls on Apple devices, for now.

Another real risk of these plans - funneling kids to use public Wi-Fi more than usual, which is a whole different set of risks.