At what age do you stop checking DC's phones?

[TreacherousPissFlap]

I've realised I haven't checked DS's for a while (he's recently got an Android and now I come to think of it I don't know how to unlock it )
He's almost 16 and has always been given pretty much free reign, on the understanding he hands it over on demand. We've only ever had one issue with an overly dramatic secret Instagram profile which cost him his phone and internet access for six weeks.
I'm always keen to allow him privacy (having had none as a child) but I also see first hand the damage that can be done by parents not supervising adequately.
For clarity, we pay the contract but he contributes a little towards it.

I certainly wouldn't read my teen's phone. To me that's akin to reading someone's diary, or listening into a private call. As it happens the kind of things my parents did to me and I'm now estranged from them.

We have restrictions (though I'm not naive enough to think there aren't ways around it) and he isn't on it after a decent hour at night. I've always had an open relationship so we've talked about porn, the dangers etc. Beyond that no, I'm not going to invade his privacy in this way. It's important to keep him safe as far as I can and guide him but it's also important to have a trusting relationship and still be connected after the teenage years.

Sorry to jump in on the post but at what age would others turn the restrictions off their phones?
My son is nearly 16 and has been asking for the restrictions to be lifted as “none of his friends have restrictions on their phones”

The restrictions have caused issues in the past as it bizarrely blocks searches like “FA Cup” and also some websites that the school send homework links on

My restrictions will be staying on for at least the next 15 years. So my eldest DS will have to wait a long time for those to be lifted!

But as an adult who watches all sorts on Netflix, it doesn't stop me viewing anything apart from porn!

The other boys are banned from watching videos such as YouTube at all. Because they watch scary stuff which means they can't sleep and get out of bed a gazillion times a night to tell me their scared.

we've tried to encourage honesty and openness rather than the culture of being constantly spied on I grew up with.

Well then you may need to deal with the consequences of that lack of interest in your child's use of the internet.