Govt. studying impact of social media on children, yet to take final decision

Colombo, Feb. 9 (Daily Mirror) - The government has initiated discussions among relevant line ministries to assess the impact of social media use on children, ahead of any possible future regulatory measures, an official said.

The Ministry of Digital Economy held a meeting on Saturday with Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, who is also the Minister of Education. Representatives from the Health Ministry and the Ministries of Child and Women Affairs also participated.

Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne told the Daily Mirror that the discussions focused on identifying how social media has affected children in Sri Lanka. He stressed that the government has not yet reached any decision to ban social media for children below the ages of 16 or 12.

“We have not taken any final decision on whether to ban social media for those below 16 or 12. First, we need to understand why regulation is necessary. Only then can we decide how it should be done,” he said.

He added that the government also plans to create awareness among parents and teachers on the use of online platforms by children.

Globally, several countries have already moved towards stricter regulation. Australia has become the first country to ban social media use for children under 16, with the measure set to take effect from December 2025.

In Spain, the government is moving ahead with a ban on social media for those under 16, alongside mandatory age-verification systems, making it one of the first European countries to adopt such rules.

France has approved a law banning social media use for children under 15 and restricting mobile phone use in high schools, with enforcement through platform-based age checks.

Denmark is also planning a ban for children under 15, although parental consent would allow access from the age of 13.