A French mayor tried to ban smartphones. Now he fears voters will throw him out

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"In a sleepy village just outside Paris, the local Mayor is handing out brick phones to a crowd of bemused teenagers. Last year, residents of Seine-Port voted in a referendum to ban smartphone use in public. The decision was driven by a noble cause: to wrestle villagers young and old away from devices that increasingly consume every minute of their daily lives. Announcing the decision, Mayor Vincent Paul-Petit pledged to halt the smartphone invasion."

The Independent solicits donations to sustain on-the-ground reporting across topics such as reproductive rights, climate change, and Big Tech. The outlet investigates political finance and produces documentaries, while avoiding paywalls so reporting remains accessible and funded by those who can afford it. In Seine-Port, a local mayor implemented non-legal rules encouraging businesses to refuse service to anyone scrolling on smartphones and allowed phone calls but expected residents to avoid internet scrolling. The mayor distributed basic 'brick' phones to teenagers and now worries the policy, enacted after a referendum, may cost him re-election amid mixed local compliance.

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