A bill seeking to prohibit children under the age of 16 from using social media has been submitted to Sri Lanka’s Parliament, as governments around the world increasingly move to tighten regulations on children’s online activities.
The proposed legislation, titled the Social Media Minimum Age Bill, was introduced as a private member’s bill by Faiza Mustapha, a member of the New Democratic Front and the President’s Counsel. The main objective of the bill is to protect children from online harms, strengthen digital safety, and reduce exposure to content and interactions that may negatively affect their well-being.
If approved, Sri Lanka would join a growing group of countries introducing age-based restrictions on social media access. Supporters of the proposal argue that limiting social media use among young children could reduce excessive screen time and encourage greater participation in physical, educational and social activities.
The proposal comes amid a broader international trend. Australia has passed legislation banning social media accounts for children under 16, while the United Kingdom has announced plans to introduce similar restrictions from 2027. The British proposal covers platforms such as Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, and includes measures to block livestreaming and contact from unknown users for younger users.
Other countries have also moved in the same direction. Malaysia recently introduced regulations requiring age verification on major social media platforms and restricting access for users under 16. Indonesia has implemented child-protection measures aimed at limiting young users’ access to certain online platforms, while Turkey, France, Greece, Spain and Denmark have either introduced or considered similar age-based restrictions.
In the Arab world, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) became the first country in the region to introduce a nationwide minimum age requirement for social media, setting the minimum age at 15 and requiring platforms to carry out robust age-verification checks.
The Maldives is also considering similar measures. President Mohamed Muizzu has announced that his administration intends to draft laws and regulations aimed at restricting social media access for children under 16. He said the government plans to study international models, particularly Australia’s approach, and work with social media companies to develop age-verification systems and online safety protections for young users.
The Sri Lankan proposal reflects growing global concern over the effects of social media on children’s mental health, privacy and online safety, with policymakers increasingly seeking stronger safeguards for younger internet users.
