President: Certain social media applications will be banned for children under 16 within the next year
The government has decided to ban children under the age of 16 from using certain social media applications to protect them from threats such as cyberbullying and online grooming. The President announced that legislative amendments and the establishment of age-verification systems in collaboration with relevant tech companies will be completed within the next year. Drawing on the Australian model, the President further noted that public consultations and discussions with civil society organizations will be held during the implementation of these measures.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu speaks during a press conference. | President's Office
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that certain social media applications will be banned for children under the age of 16 within the coming year.
Speaking with the press on Monday, the President stated that young people have become increasingly involved in harmful activities on social media, leading to a rise in cyberbullying.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, the President stated that online grooming is a significant and dangerous consequence of these activities. He emphasized that it is the government's responsibility to work alongside the public to protect youth and children from such threats. The President further noted that this is an issue requiring a coordinated response and collective action from all relevant institutions.
Moving forward, we intend to take the necessary steps to restrict access to specific social media platforms for minors under the age of 16. This will involve amending relevant laws and implementing essential measures in consultation with relevant authorities, civil society organizations, and the general public.President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu
The President stated that he views the measures implemented by Australia as a benchmark for this initiative. He further noted that the government will introduce the necessary legislative amendments to facilitate these measures and will collaborate with social media companies to carry out the required work.
The President stated that the process will be finalized in the coming days, with a ban on social media apps for children under 16 to be implemented within a year at most, or potentially as early as this year. He clarified that this measure does not signify a move away from digitalization or the internet, but rather that efforts are underway to implement safeguards while maintaining digital access.
Effective December 10, Australia has implemented a ban on social media for children under the age of 16. The Australian government has identified ten specific platforms subject to this restriction, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit, and streaming services Kick and Twitch. Furthermore, the government is facing mounting pressure to extend this ban to include online gaming platforms.
Under the established regulations, no penalties will be imposed on children or their parents for violations of this ban. Instead, the responsibility for enforcement lies with social media companies, which face fines of up to $32 million for serious or repeated breaches. The government maintains that these companies must take adequate measures to restrict children from their platforms. Furthermore, they will be required to implement robust age-verification technologies to ensure compliance.
A petition has been submitted to the People’s Majlis calling for a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16 in the Maldives.
