Maldives to Ban Under-16s from Social Media Within 12 Months
Speaking at a press conference dedicated to child safety measures, Muizzu said the government intends to limit access to specific social media platforms for users below the age of 16, with full implementation targeted within the next 12 months, according to a statement from the President's Office.
The president identified online abuse, cyberbullying, and children's exposure to harmful content as the central drivers behind the proposed policy — risks he described as serious enough to demand immediate government intervention.
Muizzu was careful to frame the restrictions not as a retreat from modernization, but as a targeted safeguard. He stressed that the planned measures are essential for protecting children but do not represent a step back from the country's broader digitalization efforts.
The announcement places the Maldives within a growing wave of nations taking legislative aim at children's unrestricted access to social media. Australia broke new ground in December 2025, becoming the first country in the world to enact legislation barring under-16s from social media platforms entirely. Indonesia followed in March, claiming the distinction of being the first Southeast Asian nation to adopt comparable rules.
Malaysia moved in parallel, introducing fresh regulations on Monday designed to prevent children under 16 from creating social media accounts.
The momentum is spreading across Europe as well, with Poland, Denmark, France, Spain, Greece, and the United Kingdom all weighing or actively advancing similar age-based restrictions — signaling what may be a sweeping global shift in how governments regulate children's digital lives.
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