By The Pulseline News Desk
Parliament has been urged to fast-track legislation restricting social media access for children under 16, amid growing concerns over online abuse, cyberbullying, exploitation and the impact of excessive internet use on children’s mental health.
Raising the issue through an adjournment motion in Parliament this week, opposition member of parliament (MP) Faizer Mustapha said he had already submitted a Private Member’s Bill proposing a minimum age limit for social media use. He said the legislation is currently at the legal drafting stage following discussions with the Minister of Justice.
Mustapha stressed that the proposed restrictions should not be viewed as being “anti-technology”, but as a necessary measure to protect children from growing online threats.
Under the proposed framework, access to platforms including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook and X would be restricted for those below 16, while communication platforms such as WhatsApp would be exempted.
Citing international developments, Mustapha pointed to measures adopted or proposed in countries including the UK and Australia, where governments have moved to strengthen safeguards for children using social media.
He said Sri Lanka’s own data showed the urgency of the issue, citing 9.1 million cyber threats detected in a single year and warning of the growing exposure of children to online abuse and exploitation.
According to figures cited in Parliament, 46.3% of children had communicated with strangers online, with 27.9% subsequently meeting them in person. Meanwhile, 28% of young internet users had reportedly experienced online violence, while 27% had faced cyberbullying and extortion.
Mustapha also said one in five children had reported having indecent images of themselves shared online, while 92% of victimised children did not report such incidents.
He warned that unrestricted access to social media and the wider internet had been linked to sexual abuse, drug solicitation, rape by individuals met online and suicides associated with internet addiction.
The MP said parents were increasingly struggling to control children’s smartphone and social media use and argued that legislation could provide them with an external boundary to help protect children.
“Today the child’s best friend has become the phone,” Mustapha said, warning of growing social isolation, declining interpersonal interaction and mental health concerns among children.
He called on Parliament to act collectively and swiftly to establish effective age-verification mechanisms and hold social media platforms accountable.
“Every day this Bill is getting delayed, a child is abused… a child’s photograph is on social media… and a child is subject to various forms of sexual harassment,” he warned.
The proposed legislation comes amid growing international efforts to regulate children’s access to social media, as governments seek to address concerns over online safety, exploitation, privacy and mental health while maintaining access to digital technology.
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