JD Wetherspoon has banned customers from using their phones on loudspeaker following complaints that the noise is driving people “nuts”.
The chain has forbidden its customers from taking calls on loudspeaker mode or playing music on their phones across all 792 of its pubs.
The ban will see new signs put up telling customers to put their phones on silent mode or use earphones.
A spokesman for Wetherspoon said: “Following complaints from customers, who are being driven nuts by other people’s videos and amplified phone conversations, Wetherspoon has asked customers to switch their phones to silent or to use earphones.”
It follows a mounting backlash against people playing videos and music out loud in public places.
Sir Tim Martin, the founder of Wetherspoon, said: “In a world dominated by other people’s music and amplified sound, Wetherspoon pubs are an oasis of tranquillity and contemplation.
“In order to avoid customers being driven chicken jalfrezi by a cacophony of sound, we are kindly asking phone users to pipe down.”
The pub chain hasn’t clarified whether people will be removed from its venues for breaking its new rules.
Earlier this month, the pub group barred customers from using smart glasses over privacy concerns.
A Wetherspoon spokesman added the chain has always had a policy of not playing music.
It is not the first pub chain to take action against anti-social mobile-phone use. Samuel Smith pubs have long banned customers from using phones, laptops or tablets at all venues on its estate, which the brewer has called “havens from the digital world”.
Transport for London (TfL) launched its own campaign last year to discourage passengers from playing music and videos out loud on their phones.
It followed research by TfL which showed 70pc of passengers surveyed considered such behaviour to be a “nuisance”.
TfL bylaws mean it can ban passengers for playing music out loud on its network, unless they have prior written permission.
The Liberal Democrats have called for an explicit ban on people playing music and videos out loud on public transport. A YouGov survey from April this year showed 62pc of people would support £1,000 fines for people doing so.
