There have been growing debates regarding social media and its effects across the world. Research has shown correlation between social media and negative impacts on mental health, which has resulted in countries all over debating how they can tackle the cons of social media such as cyberbullying, body image issues, increased screen time, depression, and more. As a result, there have been nations that have taken steps to reduce screen time, while some countries have, and are in the process of banning social media for specific age groups.

Maldives is one such country where the government is currently working to implement amendments so that children below 16 years of age cannot access certain social media applications.

On 1st June 2026, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu stated during a press conference at the President’s Office that social media has been negatively affecting children. The President said that prominent issues include content that goes against Islamic values, grooming and cyberbullying.

While the specific list of applications has not been finalized as of yet, Maldives intends to look at Australia as an example and to use their framework. During the press conference, President Muizzu said that the Maldivian government aims to put children first with better measures in child safety.

173 cyberbullying cases have been reported in Maldives in 2024 alone, with an increase in online exploitation and cyberbullying cases over the last few years. While the internet does provide platforms for education, skill mastery and communities where children can learn to be more social, parents face a critical question: How can I keep my children safe from the more negative aspects of the web?

The Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development launched the TechPath initiative in partnership with UNICEF Maldives and supported by the UNICEF Global Learning Innovation Hub and Google for Education on 21st August 2024.

The Minister of Education Dr. Ismail Shafeeu, spoke at the launch event, stating that the integration of digital tools into classrooms will “equip students with the ability to think critically, collaborate effectively, and innovate continuously.” He further stated that it is meant to prepare students to become responsible digital citizens, and not just to improve academic outcomes.

On Safer Internet Day 2025, UNICEF Representative Dr. Edward Addai put out a message talking about UNICEF’s Rakkaatheri flagship initiative and the Beleniveriyaa initiative. The Rakkaatheri initiative sees UNICEF advocating for the prioritization of making online spaces safer for children by taking necessary action. The organization will be working with caregivers and parents through the Beleniveriyaa initiative where they will equip them with the tools, support and skills to advise children in navigating the digital world.

Maldives has also been prioritizing cyber security in their efforts to quell the negative impacts social media has on children, and on Maldives as a whole.

The National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) collaborated with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Communication Authority of Maldives to strengthen Child Online Protection (COP).

This collaborative effort sees the Training of Trainers (ToT) programs which are facilitated by NCSA and delivered by experts on the subject matter from ITU COP.

ITU’s COP program provides online training that anyone can take at their own pace and is built for children aged between 9 to 12 and 13 to 18. The training is also viable for educators, policy-makers, parents and carers, and the ICT industry.

The training for children covers three priority areas: Privacy, Misinformation & Disinformation, and Harassment.

The NCSA continues to work as Maldives’ central authority in charge of coordinating national cybersecurity initiatives, and has also directly advised the National Security Council in devising cybersecurity policies. The NCSA is also a major player in Maldives’ Cyber Security Act.

While Maldives has been strengthening itself, other countries have been taking their own steps as well.

Australia is the very first country in the world to pass a nationwide social media ban bill, with the bill coming into force on 10th December 2025.

Children under 16 years of age are banned from accessing social media platforms, specifically Facebook, Instagram, Kick, Reddit, Snapchat, TikTok, Threads, Twitch, YouTube and X, with tech companies that own said platforms potentially facing fines up to USD 50 million if relevant steps are not taken to stop children under the age of 16 from having accounts, along with Portugal following in Australia’s footsteps. Portugal approved legislation where children under the age of 16 will have limited access to social media.

Austria is looking at Australia as an example in their considerations for a social media ban for children under the age of 14.

France ratified a law where children under the age of 15 need parental consent and verification of the users’ age for social media platforms as a part of their government’s plan to protect children from cyberbullying and other threats, along with screen time reduction, with Italy introducing a bill in May 2024 where restrictions on social media includes a set of rules for child influencers under the age of 15.

The Spanish government approved a draft law on 4th June 2024 where they raised the age of children who can own social media accounts from 14 to 16 as part of their age of data protection consent for children.

Research from the Norwegian Media Authority has put the Norwegian government on its toes, leading to them launching a public consultation on a proposed law. This will prevent children under the age of 15 from obtaining services from social media platforms.

Denmark is in the midst of setting aside USD 24.7 million (160 million kr) regarding a total of 14 initiatives aimed at creating a better digital environment for the youth and strengthening online protections. A strict social media ban for children under 15 is also something the nation wants to introduce.

However, the topic of social media bans have caught the attention of many, with one side of the fence in defense of it and the other being against it.

Official parameters have not been set as of yet in Maldives, however, as Maldives will be following Australia, sharing official identification, date of birth and the use of facial ID to verify age may be included when attempting to sign up to a social media platform, taking away the right of anonymity. This has been a key point raised by the public online.

Online debate has pointed out that this goes against the main point of protecting children from the negative aspects of the internet.

Another point being made is that young people in Australia have been stating that the verification of facial ID has not been working as intended.

An article on ABC.net reads that younger people in Australia below the age of 16 have been bypassing the facial ID verification process in various ways. These include using a completely different picture, asking siblings to pose for facial recognition, with some of them stating that they have not been asked to verify their age at all and were successful in creating an account.

Australian Communications Minister Anika Wells has stated that their government is aware of the issues and that their system is far from perfect. This is something Maldives can take a lesson from when crafting its own legislation.

Many have spoken on the potential impact on education as younger people tend to go on YouTube to learn about what they’re being taught in school, to learn new skills, etc.

YouTube access restrictions are in place for users under 16 in Australia, disallowing them from having an account but not restricting them from watching videos. YouTube Kids is not a part of the ban but younger people are raising concerns regarding creativity and a potential lack of an outlet.

Singer and dancer Ziame Stewart, 15, told BBC that the UK’s new policy in banning those below the age of 16 from social media (first set of Regulations before end of the year, implementation in Spring 2027) may “bury a generation of creative talent.” He gestured to major global artists such as Billie Eilish and Justin Bieber, who had been discovered on social media when they were teenagers.

Paddy Crump, campaigns director at Flippgen told BBC of an unintended side-effect regarding a social media ban in the UK: young people may be less likely to seek support caused by online harm if they were to encounter them. He also said that this may isolate them from information and communities. As a positive point toward social media, a 2023 advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General noted that social media can enable community building and connections among peers with shared identities and interests.

As per the same article, an online e-petition is requesting the UK government not ban social media for those under 16 years of age "because for many young people social media is how they communicate with their friends. Some people view social media as a lifeline".

With social media use increasing as time goes by, Maldives is looking to the rest of the world when crafting their own legislation and steps to improve child safety measures and cyber security.

In order to curb matters such as cyberbullying, online exploitation, and making the internet a safer place for children, the President said that the government will be making the necessary legal amendments that will come into force sometime in 2027, and that they will work with companies that operate social media applications.

First Lady Sajidha Mohamed also backed this effort during the opening ceremony of a children’s rights forum titled Mashvaraa, stating that the government’s decision in the restriction of social media access fall in line with their broader framework for child safety.

President Muizzu has said that the social media ban in Maldives does not mean that the government is turning its back on his vision for the digital Maldives named Maldives 2.0.