A Private Member’s Bill has been proposed in Parliament seeking to restrict access to social media platforms for children under the age of 16 in Sri Lanka.
The proposed “Social Media Minimum Age Bill”, presented by Opposition MP Faiszer Musthapha, aims to prevent children from being exposed to harmful online content and activities while introducing regulations for social media and internet service providers.
Under the draft legislation, social media service providers operating in Sri Lanka could be required to prevent access by children under 16 and impose restrictions on age-restricted users. The Bill also allows for limits on the amount of time children can spend on certain online services and the times of day they can access them.
The proposal empowers the subject minister to introduce regulations requiring internet service providers and social media platforms to enforce these restrictions.
The Bill further provides for the appointment of an Authorized Commissioner under the National Child Protection Authority to oversee implementation, receive complaints, conduct investigations, and enforce the provisions of the Act.
According to the draft, a “child” is defined as a person under 16 years of age, while an “age-restricted user” refers to a Sri Lankan child who has not reached the age of 16.
If enacted, the law would apply to specified social media service providers offering services to users within Sri Lanka. (Newswire)
