President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the Maldives will introduce special legislation to ban children under the age of 16 from using social media platforms. Speaking to the press, the President stated that the new regulations would align with similar policies recently implemented in Australia.

The President emphasized that the administration’s primary objective is to establish a robust mechanism that prevents individuals within this age group from creating accounts on various social media platforms. He noted that this decision aims to ensure the safety and protection of children, consistent with the evolving digital standards of advanced nations worldwide.

President Muizzu further confirmed that the government intends to finalize the necessary legal frameworks and regulatory structures within the current year. The state aims to begin full enforcement of these measures immediately following the completion of the legislative process to mitigate the risks associated with early social media exposure.