Vietnam is planning to force social media platforms to ban users under 16 from posting content, commenting or reacting to posts, according to a draft decree ​reviewed by Reuters, joining a growing international push to curb the ‌use of social media by minors.

The proposed rules would require social media accounts belonging to children under 16 to be registered using the information of a parent or legal guardian, who would ​be responsible for supervising the content viewed and the amount of time ​spent on the platforms.

Social media companies would also have to use ⁠technical measures to identify child users and ensure age-appropriate content distribution, according to the ​draft decree.

“The primary objective is not to ban or excessively restrict children’s access ​to social media, but rather to ensure that when children use social media services, they are placed in an age-appropriate environment and protected from inappropriate risks,” deputy culture minister Phan Tam said ​on Thursday at a meeting to discuss the new rules.

The draft decree also requires platforms ​to provide the highest level of privacy protection for child accounts, and to proactively detect, ‌warn and ⁠block access to content related to violence, pornography, gambling, drugs, suicide and other harmful material.

The proposal reflects growing concern among governments worldwide about online safety and the impact of social media and harmful content on the mental health of children.

On Tuesday, French lawmakers approved ​a ban on ⁠social media access for children under 15. Australia was the first country to impose a ban and several other countries are ​also following suit.

Beyond social media, Vietnam is also proposing new ​restrictions on ⁠online gaming by minors, according to the draft decree.

Game operators would be required to verify users’ ages, register under-16 accounts through a parent or guardian and limit children ⁠under 16 ​to no more than 60 minutes of play ​a day for games provided by the same company, it said.

The draft decree has not yet been ​finalised and could be revised before adoption. (Reuters)

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The Sri Lanka Police have issued a public advisory warning of a surge in financial scams carried out via social media platforms by fraudsters impersonating Police officers with stolen or fabricated photographs and fake online profiles.

The Police said numerous complaints continue to be received despite arrests and repeated awareness campaigns. 

Current investigations reveal criminals are creating fake WhatsApp, Telegram, and other accounts falsely claiming to represent the Police or government institutions.

The Sri Lanka Police urge the public to remain vigilant and pay close attention to the following fraudulent tactics:

• Fake calls from individuals posing as officers of the Central Bank, CID, or other units.
• False claims that National Identity Cards have been misused, fraudulent accounts opened, or bank accounts linked to money laundering.
• Threats of legal action while sending forged police IDs, documents, or badges via WhatsApp/social media.
• Requests for confidential data such as OTPs, passwords, or banking credentials under the guise of verification.
• Pressure to transfer funds to unfamiliar accounts or cryptocurrency wallets (including USDT).

The Sri Lanka Police advise the public to observe the following precautions to protecting personal and financial information:

• Never share sensitive data: No institution will request NIC, bank details, card numbers, CVV, PIN, or OTP via phone or social media.
• Do not transfer money based on threats of frozen accounts or blocked cards.
• Verify with your bank using official contact numbers before sending funds.
• Police and Central Bank protocols: Investigations are not conducted via personal WhatsApp accounts or personal bank deposits.
• Check authenticity: Documents or IDs sent via social media may be forged — report immediately.
• Avoid suspicious links, downloads, or QR codes from unknown sources.

The public are urged to reporting such scams. Victims or those receiving suspicious calls/messages are urged to report immediately:

• Computer Crime Investigation Division – Supervisory Officer: 071 8592918
• Investigation Officer: 071 8591765
• Division Office: 011 2300756

Complaints may also be lodged in person at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). (Newswire)

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The government has intensified its focus on protecting children from cyber threats, online violence, and harms to their wellbeing, with Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya chairing a special discussion in Parliament on the implementation of a comprehensive national program.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the meeting, organized with the participation of a multi‑disciplinary working group of the Digital Education Task Force, examined regulatory and educational solutions to safeguard children while ensuring they continue to benefit from digital participation.

Officials noted that several countries are debating age restrictions on social media access, but highlighted studies showing that bans alone may be ineffective, with 85% of children in one country continuing to use platforms through other means. Risks such as lost learning opportunities, increased reliance on unsafe platforms, and privacy concerns were also discussed.

The discussion emphasized adopting a “smart mix” of strategies to address harms including grooming, exploitation, harmful content exposure, sleep disruption, compulsive online behavior, and impacts on mental wellbeing.

Proposed measures include boosting digital literacy, empowering parents and children, holding online platforms accountable, disabling addictive features, and embedding Safety‑by‑Design principles.

The government reaffirmed its commitment to an evidence‑informed approach and cross‑ministerial cooperation. 

In line with this process, draft school‑level guidelines on online safety, cybersecurity, and digital wellbeing were presented, developed using international frameworks and national resources. 

Following approval of the finalised guidelines by the appropriate bodies, they will be made available to schools nationwide with accompanying training and orientation for their implementation. (Newswire)

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French lawmakers voted Tuesday to ban social media use for children under the age of 15, making it the first country in the European Union to introduce such an age limit.

Australia made history late last year when it implemented the first ban on social media for under-16s. The British government announced similar restrictions last month, expected to come into effect next year. Spain, Greece and Denmark are also planning to impose minimum age limits for social media use.

French lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favor of the bill, which was strongly backed by France’s President Emmanuel Macron. He will now sign it into law.

“Social media will be banned for children under 15 starting this school year,” he posted on X after the vote as he thanked lawmakers for passing the bill.

“The brains of our children and our teenagers are not for sale,” he had said in a video message in January. “The emotions of our children and our teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated, neither by American platforms nor by Chinese algorithms.”

Macron had ordered the French government to expedite the bill’s passage through parliament, with the aim of having legislation in place for the beginning of the new next school year in September.

It is not yet clear how the social media sites will verify users’ ages. Australia requires companies to “take reasonable steps” to prevent underage children from opening or keeping accounts, and the French government has promised to implement age controls to back up the law.

Earlier versions of the legislation also included proposals for a ban on advertising promoting social media to children, including by influencers, and to require advertisements for social media platforms to carry the warning: “Dangerous products for children under 15.” However, these plans did not make it into the final bill.

The new law will be enforced by Arcom, France’s audiovisual and digital communications regulator. It is expected to apply to all the major platforms.

According to Arcom, children aged 12 to 17 in France spend an average of 1 hour and 21 minutes a day on TikTok. The regulator says the platform’s recommendation algorithm tends to promote the most “extreme” content, exposing teenagers to a continuous stream of anxiety-inducing or otherwise harmful videos.

Social media companies say they already take steps to protect children from some kinds of content.

Across OECD countries in 2022, at least half of 15-year-olds in most countries spent 30 hours or more per week on digital devices, including learning activities in or out of school.

Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said warned that “social media is not a toy,” in a statement calling for “age-appropriate restrictions.”

“In Europe, whoever develops a product is responsible for its safety. Car manufacturers must make their vehicles safe. We do not expect children to design their own seatbelts. We do not expect parents to fit airbags at home,” she wrote. “This is not about whether children can access social media. It is about whether and when social media can access our children.”

In France, some opposition lawmakers opposed the bill at an earlier stage over concerns about free speech and access to informative online content. Some senators had proposed a blacklist of certain social media platforms.

This is not the first time France has restricted access to online material. A ban on access to online pornography for minors overcame legal challenges to finally come into effect in 2025. It requires users to provide proof of age. (CNN)

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Social media platforms that fail to meet child safety standards could be blocked for users under 18, while those that do could continue offering access to young users, Singapore’s Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo said on Friday (Jul 17).

Speaking at a forum on child online safety organised by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information and the Institute of Policy Studies, Mrs Teo said discussions pointed towards a “differentiated landscape” where access hinges on whether platforms can provide a safe environment for children.

“It is potentially a differentiated landscape where some services, some platforms have made it possible for child-safe access, and they continue to offer access to those under 18,” she said in her closing remarks.

“But there may be some other services that either have not been willing or able to do it, then as a society, we think that it is probably better to block access for under-18s to these kinds of services.” 

Restricting access is “not the starting point” and “not the preferred outcome”, she stressed. The government’s priority remains working with platforms to strengthen safety features so children can keep accessing digital services more safely.

Her remarks build on an earlier proposal for tiered or age-based access, under which younger children could be barred from certain platforms while older teenagers gain access gradually as they develop the maturity to navigate online spaces.

Singapore already has several age-related safeguards in place. These include Codes of Practice for Online Safety, age assurance requirements for apps and annual reporting obligations for social media platforms. 

“The idea that we can kick them off (social media) completely is not a very realistic one,” Teo said, noting that children today grow up without a clear separation between online and offline life. 

Protecting children from harm is “only part of it”, she added. Preparing them to navigate digital spaces responsibly matters just as much, if not more, in the long run.

TIERED ACCESS TO SOCIAL MEDIA

Summing up the discussions at the forum, Mrs Teo said there was broad support for tiered access and stronger expectations that tech companies take responsibility for designing safer platforms. 

She said safety should extend beyond moderating harmful content to features that shape user behaviour, such as recommendation algorithms, design elements that encourage constant use and the ability to interact with strangers.

“If we really want to create a child-safe environment, making sure it doesn’t stop at the border called content but instead goes into considerations that define the features, the design of these services, is something that has also come across very loudly and clearly.”

Beyond regulation, she said ensuring children’s online safety requires a whole-of-society effort spanning government, industry, educators, parents and young people. 

Many parents, she acknowledged, face growing uncertainty guiding their children online as the digital landscape evolves rapidly.

“We need to journey along with each other, help each other, support each other, learn new tools of the trade … and also acquire new skills in terms of helping them to foster healthy digital habits,” she said.

Mrs Teo also welcomed what she described as growing agency among young people, saying many of whom are becoming more discerning about the platforms they use. 

Citing feedback from youth participants at the forum, she said: “They may well say if a platform isn’t going to take care of my safety, if a platform isn’t willing to look after my well-being, then maybe I will sign off and go somewhere else.”

Around 150 people attended the forum, including global regulators, community and industry partners, academics and experts. 

The Ministry of Digital Development and Information said separately on Friday that it is engaging a wide range of stakeholders, including parents and youths, to gather views on building a safer digital environment for young users. (CNA)

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Britain will introduce a default overnight curfew on  social media  apps for 16- and 17-year-olds, the government said, adding new restrictions for older teenagers to its plan to introduce a sweeping ban on social media for under-16s.

Affected users would be blocked from using apps between midnight and 6 a.m. unless they change the default setting. Features designed to keep users scrolling for longer, including videos that automatically play one after another, would also be switched off by default.

The new measures aim to prevent a cliff edge for those who will gain access to social media when they turn 16, and offer some protection from the negative effects of late-night scrolling.

“These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends,” technology minister Liz Kendall said in a statement.

The move underlines global concerns among parents and policymakers about safeguarding young children from the harmful effects of social media on their mental and physical health.

Results of a study published on Tuesday showed restrictions led to improvements in sleep, concentration and wellbeing, and that an overnight curfew was the easiest measure for families to maintain and produced the most consistent sleep benefits.

The first set of regulations on social media restrictions will be laid before parliament by the end of this year, with measures expected to come into force in spring 2027, the government said. It promised “robust implementation and enforcement”.

However, a team that advised Australia — the first country to ban social media for children — found that online platforms were stumbling at the very first step of implementing age-verification checks, rendering the ban ineffective.

Google and TikTok have in the last month separately settled a U.S. lawsuit brought by a minor who claimed that social media platforms damaged his mental health. (Reuters)

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The European Union will move to limit young children’s access to social media across the 27-member bloc, European ​Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday, in what ‌would be the biggest such effort to date to guard against online dangers.

Von der Leyen presented a paper from two experts recommending a tiered approach, with under-13s only ​allowed to use social media for limited periods under the ​supervision of parents, caregivers and teachers. The curbs would be lifted ⁠gradually as teenagers got older.

“It is clear we need age-appropriate restrictions ​to platforms,” von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels.

“The question is no longer ​if children face risks online, but what can we do to give children a safer start online,” she said.

Von der Leyen indicated that she was likely to follow ​the experts’ suggestions and that the Commission would present a concrete proposal ​after the summer.

She is expected to announce it at her state of the ‌union ⁠address in September.

Australia, Britain, China, India and the United States have already imposed a social media ban or are considering one, which would mainly target TikTok, Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O), YouTube and Meta’s (META.O), Instagram and Facebook.

Those companies did not immediately respond ​to emailed requests ​for comment. Social ⁠media platforms have said they have measures to protect younger users and many have already imposed age restrictions.

“We first ​need to consider the type of platforms that are ​harmful to ⁠our children. The evidence shows that this is mainly social media platforms, but also other providers with age-inappropriate and addictive features. So think of it ⁠as ​social media plus,” von der Leyen said.

“And when ​we have this clearly defined category, I believe we need to consider phased and gradual ​access for different age ranges,” she added. (Reuters)

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The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has launched preliminary discussions with stakeholders to explore proposals for banning or restricting social media use among children under 16, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya said. 

PM Amarasuriya said that the consultations focus on the social, mental, and health impacts of social media, digital security, and global developments. 

Work is underway to draft national guidelines on prohibiting access for under‑16s, alongside awareness campaigns aimed at safeguarding children’s mental and physical wellbeing, she said.

The Prime Minister further said that the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has also rolled out a programme to help children under 18 overcome mobile phone addiction, which has already shown positive results. 

PM Harini Amarasuriya made the remarks while addressing the Parliament of Sri Lanka today (08). (Newswire)

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The Collective for Social Media Declaration (CSMD) has voiced grave concern over the government’s gazetting of the Chartered Institute of Media Professionals of Sri Lanka in June 2026, warning it poses a serious risk of restricting digital civil space and silencing independent voices.

Issuing a statement, CSMD said that while the bill presents itself as a framework to uphold professional standards in the media sector, its provisions open the door to direct political interference. 

Under Clause 5(4), the “Interim Council” appointed for the first year falls entirely under the influence of the Minister in charge, giving political authority the power to shape the institution’s foundation, it said.

CSMD further identified that following key threats: 

• Entrapping Digital Creators – The bill defines “media professionals” to include online content creators and editors on platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok. CSMD warned this is less about recognition and more about bringing independent citizens under state regulation.
• Vague Misconduct Rules – The governing council will have full disciplinary authority, but “professional misconduct” is undefined, leaving room for political misuse. CSMD cautioned that critical journalism could be branded “unethical” and punished.
• Triple Legal Trap – Revoking a social media activist’s registration under this bill could trigger punitive action under the Online Safety Act (OSA) and the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA), enabling content removal and even arrest without warrant.

CSMD stressed that the combination of these laws threatens freedom of speech guaranteed under Article 14(1)(a) of the Constitution and risks creating a climate of self‑censorship. 

The collective urged the National People’s Power (NPP) government to immediately withdraw the bill, calling it a repressive measure disguised as professionalism.

Full statement : 

The ‘Collective for Social Media Declaration'(CSMD) hereby expresses its grave concern regarding the “CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF MEDIA PROFESSIONALS OF SRI LANKAl” gazetted by the government in June 2026, which poses a serious risk of severely restricting the digital civil space and the freedom of expression of independent voices in this country. While this bill presents itself as introducing and maintaining professional standards in the media sector, it carries a high potential of becoming a repressive tool that directly silences independent journalism and professional criticism in practice.

It is factually clear that the very initial operation of this bill, upon enactment, opens the door to direct political interference. Under Clause 5(4) of the bill, the “Interim Council” appointed for the first year of the act’s operation falls entirely under the influence of the Minister in charge of the subject. This council, composed of members nominated with the consent of the Ministry Secretary and the Minister, is empowered to determine the foundational criteria for selecting members of the permanent council – paving the way for the institution’s very foundation to be shaped according to political will, devoid of any independent professional basis.

In this context, the three primary threats posed by this bill – particularly to the digital space, social media activists, and content creators – can be identified as follows:

1. Entrapping Digital Creators Through the Definition of “Media Professional”
   This bill directly includes not only traditional journalists but also “content creators” and “content editors” operating on online platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok within the legal scope of “media professional.” While on the surface this may appear to be professional recognition or appreciation extended to them, its true underlying intention is to bring independent citizens under an institutional and state regulatory framework.
2. The Risk of Vague “Misconduct” Rules and Disciplinary Control
   The governing council established by the bill is granted full authority to impose a professional code of ethics and exercise disciplinary control over members. The most serious legal gap therein is that “professional misconduct” is not specifically defined within the bill itself. Leaving this to be determined by rules subsequently formulated by the governing council creates a broad political opening to persecute independent journalists by labeling any content critical of the government or corrupt officials as “unethical” or “misconduct.”
3. The ‘Triple Legal Threat’ Converging with Other Repressive Legislation
   If a social media activist’s professional registration is revoked through disciplinary proceedings under this bill, the impact is not limited to mere institutional punishment. A deadly ‘triple legal trap’ is activated here, where this bill converges with the already-enforced Online Safety Act (OSA) and the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA).

As a practical illustration: an independent social media activist (YouTuber) who exposes large-scale government corruption could have their professional registration revoked under this bill on grounds of “ethical violation.” They could then be reduced to the status of an ordinary unofficial citizen, after which the content could be removed from the internet under the Online Safety Act(OSA) on claims of spreading misinformation, and punishment imposed. Furthermore, if the exposure triggers public outrage, it could be framed as inciting anti-state sentiment, and if the proposed PSTAl is passed, the mechanism would be in place to arrest the individual without a warrant.

Our Request and Emphasis

As a collective that stands for and operates with socially responsible, human rights-based ethical social media activism, we make our emphasis on that ethical foundation.

The combination of these laws has the full capacity to directly or indirectly threaten the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 14(1)(a) of the Constitution, and to create a dark era of “self-censorship” in this country’s digital space – where media personnel, especially social media activists, censor themselves out of fear of legal punishment.

Therefore, we strongly urge the National People’s Power (NPP) government to immediately withdraw this bill, which suppresses civil space and the right to criticize under the guise of professionalism. We, as the ‘Collective for Social Media Declaration (CSMD),’ also earnestly call upon all civil society organizations, media professionals, and citizens who respect democracy to immediately unite in defense of both media freedom and democratic rights in this country. (Newswire)

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that under-16s will be banned from major social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.

The UK government says the measures are part of a plan to keep young people safe online and help address late-night scrolling on phones.

Mr Starmer explained that: “A full ban is the right choice” and saying it was needed to protect the wellbeing of children.

The new rules follow a UK government consultation on social media restrictions, which took place at the start of the year, where children and adults were asked their opinions at what they think should happen.

It found that most people supported a ban, however campaigners have warned that the planned measures could cause more problems. (BBC)

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The Canadian government has introduced a new digital safety bill that would ban social ⁠media for children under 16, with exemptions for platforms that meet certain safety standards.

The bill also aims to make AI chatbots safer by setting up a digital regulator ⁠to establish safety standards, a government official said.

The proposed “Digital Safety Act” makes Canada the latest in a wave of countries moving to crack down on social media platforms over concerns of harm to children.

“We have seen the very serious consequences that online harms can have. The safety of children cannot be an afterthought,” the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, Marc Miller, said in a statement.

Companies could face penalties of 3% of global revenue or up to C$10 million ($7.2 million), whichever is more, for failing to comply.

“Social media platforms and AI chatbots are designed to capture attention. They do not support healthy childhood development and have become a source of anxiety, isolation, depression and a range of other mental health challenges for many young Canadians,” Miller said.

“This legislation will provide a safer environment for young Canadians and empower them to connect in-person, build friendships, focus in school, and learn real-world skills so they can thrive.”

The bill’s introduction in Parliament comes weeks after families affected by one of the country’s worst mass shootings sued OpenAI, alleging that the company knew the killer was planning the attack after it banned the shooter from its platform in June last year over the user’s troubling conversations on ChatGPT, but did not warn police.

In its proposal for Bill C-34, the Canadian government said that apart from individual behaviour, online harms “are also shaped by how digital services are designed and operated. Features such as algorithmic recommendation systems, engagement-based feeds, autoplay, and endless scrolling can amplify harmful content and increase exposure, particularly for young users.” 

AI has added new challenges, and digital services have “not kept pace with the scale, speed, and severity of online harms”, the government said. 

Against that backdrop, the bill aims to set up new safety requirements for social media and AI chatbot services, requiring them to identify risks of harm on their platforms, adopt measures to address certain risks, implement safety-focused and age-appropriate design features, provide tools, such as blocking and flagging, and more.

It also wants platforms to remove content that includes the non-consensual sharing of intimate images within 24 hours of being flagged, according to local media reports.

In December, Australia became the world’s first country to ban social media for children under 16. ⁠A month after its law was introduced, social media companies collectively deactivated the accounts of nearly 5 ⁠million teenagers. Government officials in a technical briefing said it could take a year for the bill to pass, and 18 months to set up the digital regulator once it does.

France, Denmark and ⁠Poland are also considering tightening rules around social media use for children, while Greece in April announced it would ban access to young people under 15 from January 2027. (Al Jazeera)

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More than a third of the time people spend on their smartphones is without a clear purpose, according to a new study examining digital habits.

The report, commissioned by Virgin Media O2, found that UK adults spend an average of 4 hours a day on their phones, with 36% of that time spent on unintentional use, such as mindlessly scrolling through apps and social media.

Researchers found that people who reported spending more time on their phones without a specific reason were also more likely to say they felt worse afterwards or had encountered harmful or unpleasant content online.

Dr Eleanor Drage of the University of Cambridge said the issue goes beyond poor personal choices, arguing that the immersive design of modern technology plays a major role in encouraging excessive use.

The findings are based on surveys conducted between 2024 and 2026, including responses from around 6,000 people aged 16 and above.

However, experts cautioned that self-reported screen time data may not always be accurate. Professor Pete Etchells of Bath Spa University said people often overestimate the time they spend on their devices but noted that recognising unhealthy habits is an important first step toward managing them.

Experts suggested measures such as disabling non-essential notifications and spending more time on offline activities to help reduce excessive screen use.

The report, titled “Age of Autopilot”, highlights growing concerns over smartphone dependency while calling for greater awareness of how digital platforms are designed to influence user behaviour. (Newswire)

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Malaysia on Monday began enforcing rules barring millions of children younger than 16 from owning social media accounts, joining a global effort to tighten online safety protections for young users.

The rules require social media platforms to implement age-verification systems and block users under 16 from creating accounts. They apply to platforms with at least 8 million users, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 10 million ringgit ($2.5 million). But parents whose children manage to bypass the law will not be penalized.

The government said the measures are aimed at protecting children from harmful content, cyberbullying and platform features designed to encourage excessive use.

Other countries including Australia,Brazil and Indonesia have introduced or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access to social media. Countries including Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are also studying or developing similar approaches.

Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission said the rules are not intended to prevent children from accessing the internet or digital technology. Instead it set expectations for service providers to address online harms and ensure age-appropriate safeguards are in place.

“These measures help strengthen the protection of children in the online environment, while providing added reassurance to parents in navigating increasingly complex digital risks,” the regulator said in a statement last month.

Platforms will be required to introduce safety-by-design features, including protections against manipulative design that encourages compulsive use, and take action against underage accounts and harmful content.

Technology companies have yet to detail how they will comply with Malaysia’s new requirements.

The regulator said a grace period will be given for platforms to complete implementation of age-verification systems.

Clara Koh, Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia, had cautioned in April that Malaysia’s blanket under-16 ban could backfire by driving teenagers away from protected apps and into unregulated corners of the internet.

She said Meta has launched “teen accounts” for those under 18 that limits contact, screen time and exposure to inappropriate content.

Malaysia’s curbs come as governments face growing pressure to address concerns about social media’s impact on children’s mental health and online safety.

In March, a U.S. jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay millions of dollars in damages in a case alleging that platform design features contributed to harm suffered by a young user.

Despite support from many parents, Malaysia’s move has also raised concerns over data privacy.

“It is very much following the trend but in a way that is raising alarms due to requiring a government ID for age verification,” said Benjamin Loh, social science lecturer at Monash University in Malaysia.

Loh said experiences elsewhere suggest age-based restrictions have yet to prove consistently effective. Without parent penalties, he said families can easily bypass the law by creating accounts for their children.

“This is a major gap that unless regulators are willing to fix, will result in the law having little effect in stopping children from using social media,” he added. (ABC News/ AP)

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Several countries want age restrictions to keep minors off platforms like TikTok and Instagram. But can bans really keep children safe online?

At the moment, governments in more than a dozen countries are trying to limit minors’ access to social media.

These include France, New Zealand, Norway, Malaysia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom. Germany is also considering taking action.

Australia became the first country in the world to introduce social media bans for users under the age of 16 in late 2025. Indonesia also introduced age limits in late March.

The aim of such legislation is to protect young people, which seems logical because children’s screen time, which is often high, can trigger conflict in many families. According to a 2025 study by the 38-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, half of all 15-year-olds in OECD countries spent at least 30 hours a week on digital devices.

Despite this, the question remains: Are age limits really the best way to address the negative impacts of social media?

‘It’s easy to draw attention with calls for age limits’

Psychologist and neuroscientist Christian Montag thinks the debate misses the point. “When new technologies show up, moral panic quickly follows,” said the professor of cognitive and brain sciences at China’s University of Macau. “And not to suggest that there aren’t real concerns among politicians, but it is also pretty easy to quickly elevate your visibility without really having to do much other than call for a social media ban.”

Educational researcher Nina Kolleck also views the debate with skepticism. Australia has shown that it’s just not that easy to push through age limits, said Kolleck, professor of educational and socialization theory at Potsdam University, Germany. But “we still haven’t resolved the truly fundamental problems with social media, we’ve just raised the minimum age for admission a bit.”

The problems start with potentially addictive personalized algorithms and gimmicks, such as push notifications and endless scrolling, which are designed to keep users locked on a given platform for as long as possible.

Beyond that, once on a platform, users can be confronted with violent or sexual content, said Kolleck.

Although digital media give children and young people the ability to inform themselves, to play and to meet, the OECD study suggests excessive use can have negative consequences. Among these are physical problems such as sleeplessness and lack of movement to problems such as cyberbullying, social isolation and depression.

Montag says it is often difficult to isolate the exact effects of social media because other factors, like environment and genetics, also play a role. The connection between excessive or addictive smartphone use and poor academic performance, however, is relatively well documented. The same goes for feelings of body dysmorphia among social media users.

Adults have trouble regulating their own screen time

Montag says children and teens are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of social media.

“The human brain needs a relatively long time to develop,” he said. “We estimate that the prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed until a person turns 20 or maybe even their mid-20s.”

“That means it is tougher for minors to regulate themselves, and they have a harder time putting down their phones than adults.”

But adults aren’t much better. Many people older than 20 also struggle with the issues surrounding social media.

This raises the question of whether social media bans for children under 14 or under 16 actually make a big difference?

Experts say the debate needs to be expanded. Many see age restrictions as just one of several necessary measures. Kolleck, for instance, describes it as a “pseudo-debate that distracts from truly effective instruments.”

Lots of good intentions in the Digital Services Act

Kolleck says numerous effective measures are anchored in the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU’s legal framework for digital services, whichobliges large online platforms and search engines to offer more protections for users — forcing TikTok, Instagram and others to systematically rank and lower risks, as well as demanding transparency regarding their algorithms.

The DSA also requires companies to provide independent researchers access to their data, allowing the outside monitors to examine how certain features or elements influence users. That has been the biggest problem to date, says Montag: “For years, we had to fight with both hands tied behind our back. And access is still completely insufficient, despite the introduction of the DSA.”

The DSA has failed to prove itself effective or has not been fully implemented in other areas, too. US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attempted to defend US tech companies against massive EU fines with the threat of punitive tariffs, poses yet another problem. Of course, in the end, the DSA only applies to EU countries.

A problematic business model

Toning down and modifying certain design features for underage users could be another way to fight the negative effects of social media. According to Montag, Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, offers an under-14 version of the app that only allows scrolling for 40 minutes. After that, it displays no new content.

TikTok already has time limits, though they are easy to turn off. Children under 13 theoretically need to have a legal guardian enter a code into their device if they want to be on longer. From 13 on, kids have to set their own code if they want to keep scrolling. That only works if they haven’t already said they were older than they are. That, however, is likely often the case because you can give any birthday you like when setting up an account.

Montag says, in the end, the platforms should be set up in a fundamentally different way, especially for kids, but also for adults. “Is the data business model that spies on users and greatly maximizes online time unhealthy as such? Yes. I don’t really need to wait for scientific studies on the psychological problems.”

Beyond discussions about age limits and other measures aimed at fostering general media competence in society, pressure has to be put above all on the platforms and they have to be strictly regulated: “Other social media models would have to be financed differently — if no longer data-based, then maybe by subscription,” he suggests. “And if platforms aren’t built to keep people glued to their screens anymore, they will also be a lot more boring.”

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The Indian government has proposed changes to extend its regulatory framework to a wider range of online news voices, including influencers and podcasters on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and X.

Last week, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) suggested amendments to India’s IT rules – which govern digital media content – to include “users who are not publishers” who share content related to “news and current affairs” within a “code of ethics” it currently applies to registered news publishers.

Experts say this will potentially give the government more power over news-related posts shared by ordinary users, including independent journalists and podcasters.

The government has proposed requiring social media platforms to follow orders and guidelines if they want to keep “safe harbour” protection – legal immunity from liability for content posted by users.

The proposed amendments have alarmed digital rights activists and independent news creators, who say they could enforce near-total compliance with state-led censorship on social media platforms. They also warn that the rules could be misused to target critics and clamp down on dissent.

The government says the amendments will strengthen existing IT rules and curb fake news, hate speech and deepfakes, and has invited public feedback by 14 April.

But critics remain sceptical of the government’s stated intentions.

Akash Banerjee, who runs the YouTube channel The Deshbhakt with more than six million subscribers, says the rules could create a climate of fear, pushing many creators toward self-censorship.

“Interestingly, despite the many laws regulating online content, hate speech and fake news haven’t reduced in the country. Meanwhile, posts that are critical of the government – even if they’re satirical – are increasingly being blocked or removed,” Banerjee says. The authorities reject the charge.

Last month, X blocked about a dozen accounts, many known for satirical posts about the government, acting on orders issued under Section 69A of India’s IT Act.

Nikhil Pahwa, a digital rights activist, says the proposed amendments to the IT rules only strengthen the government’s existing “infrastructure for mass censorship”.

In an article co-authored with Apar Gupta, founder of the Internet Freedom Foundation, in the Times of India newspaper, Pahwa traces how successive amendments to the IT rules – introduced in 2021 – have expanded the government’s control over online content and diminished users’ rights.

A 2021 amendment brought digital news outlets under government oversight, while a 2025 change strengthened the federal home ministry’s Sahyog portal – a centralised platform that allows a number of agencies to issue takedown notices to social media companies with limited transparency and fewer safeguards, say the authors.

This portal functions as a parallel mechanism for removing content, distinct from the blocking powers granted to the federal government under Section 69A of the IT Act.

The IT rules were amended yet again in early 2026, where the window for social media firms to comply with government blocking orders was reduced from 36 to three hours, severely reducing the scope for legal review. (BBC)

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Greece will ban access ​to social media for children under the age ‌of 15 from January 1, 2027, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Wednesday, citing rising anxiety, sleep problems and the ​addictive design of online platforms.

In a video message ​addressed to young people, Mitsotakis said children spending ⁠long hours in front of screens do not allow ​their minds to rest and face growing pressure from constant ​comparison and online comments.

The Greek prime minister said he had spoken with many parents who reported that their children do not ​sleep well, become anxious easily and spend long hours ​on their phones.

An opinion poll by ALCO published in February showed ‌about ⁠80% of those surveyed approved of a ban. The Greek government has already outlawed mobile phones in schools and set up parental control platforms to limit teenagers’ screen ​time.

“Greece will be ​among the ⁠first countries to take such an initiative,” Mitsotakis said. “I am certain, however, that it ​will not be the last. Our goal ​is to ⁠push the European Union in this direction as well.”

Slovenia, Britain, Austria and Spain have also said they are working ⁠on ​similar bans after Australia became ​the first country in the world to block access to children under ​16 last year. (Reuters)

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The Sri Lanka Police have warned the public to be cautious of a false message circulating on social media that has been wrongly attributed to the Police.

The post, which urges citizens to “be vigilant” and claims to provide guidance during the country’s economic hardship, is being shared as if it were an official communication.

However, in a statement, the Police Media Division clarified that no such message has been issued by the Sri Lanka Police, either to the media or through official social media platforms.

The statement further states that all official announcements are released exclusively via the Police Media Division under formal press statements, and verified updates are shared through the official Facebook page and YouTube channel of the Sri Lanka Police.

The Police further stated that investigations have been initiated to determine whether the dissemination of the misleading post is a deliberate and coordinated act by individuals or groups.

The public has been urged to exercise caution, discernment, and sound judgment when encountering or sharing such content online. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Police has warned the public about fake posts circulating on social media under the heading “Awareness by the Sri Lanka Police Department”, which claim to provide guidance to the public.

Issuing a statement, the Police clarified that all official awareness messages are released only through the Police Media Division, under the proper letterhead as official media releases.

They added that daily updates and notices are published via the official Police account and channel managed by the Media Division.

The Police further stated that if individuals or groups circulate posts falsely claiming to be issued by the Police, steps will be taken to investigate whether such activity is part of a planned operation.

The public is urged to act with caution regarding the content of such posts, with the Police stressing that only official channels should be trusted for accurate information. (Newswire)

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Some sites in Australia had already barred non-members on Friday and were refusing new registrations, days before being obliged to use age verification technology to keep out underage users.

The new rules expand Australia’s online child safety measures following its world-leading December 10 ban on children under 16 joining social media platforms.

The crackdown restricts child access to “age-inappropriate content” including pornography, high-impact violence, suicide and eating disorders.

It covers porn websites, search engines, app stores, gaming providers and generative AI systems, including chatbots.

“Make no mistake, where we see failures or foot-dragging, we will hold companies to account,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Friday.

Failure to comply can bring penalties of up to Aus$49.5 million (US$35 million) per breach.

“Users will be asked to confirm their age when accessing age-restricted material on pornography websites and services,” eSafety said.

“Clicking a button that says ‘I am 18 years or older’ is no longer sufficient. This is consistent with similar efforts being implemented internationally,” it said.

New safeguards

Inman Grant said society had long agreed that age barriers were needed to protect children from harm.

“We don’t allow children to walk into bars or bottle shops, adult stores or casinos, but when it comes to online spaces where they are spending a lot of their time, there are no such safeguards,” she said in a statement.

“But that changes for Australian kids.”

The regulator said industry would be obliged to apply consistent standards across their services so children are not accidentally exposed to harmful content.

Under the changes, AI companion chatbots capable of generating sexually explicit, violent or self-harm material must confirm users’ ages.

App stores and online gaming sites are also required to block under-18s from adult-only content.

People using a search engine without logging in, for example to a Google account, will have results blurred by default for results containing pornography and high-impact violence.

For users entering searches related to suicide or eating disorders, the first results will be a referral to appropriate mental health support services.

The regulator said it would monitor and assess adherence to the rules and would take enforcement action against systemic non-compliance.

“No piece of regulation will eliminate all risks and harms all at once, but these codes create meaningful protections for children across the tech ecosystem,” Inman Grant said.

“The government’s commitment to implementing a digital duty of care will also further strengthen protections in the future.” (France 24)

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Social media activist SEDA Bro reported to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) today (03 Mar) to record a statement with regard to an ongoing investigation.

Speaking to reporters outside the CID, SEDA Bro said he was summoned to record a statement and has been instructed by the CID not to reveal the cause, as it could affect the ongoing investigation. 

“I knew earlier that I would have to report to the CID. I did not think they would make a dumb move like this. I think the government will face a challenge in the future for the timing and circumstances of the summons. We urge the government not to attempt to suppress digital content creators. This could lead to a big problem. A government that came to power through social media must think before acting against social media, as it is a community,” he said. 

SEDA Bro further warned that the government will face its most crucial 72 hours in the history of the country, the day it makes a move against social media activists. (Newswire)

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