President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced that the government will ban certain social‑media platforms from being accessed by children younger than 16, a move aimed at shielding youths from cyber‑bullying, online grooming and other digital threats.
Speaking at the weekly press conference, President Muizzu underscored that the island nation – a small society anchored in Islamic principles – must give special priority to tackling social problems that affect its youngest citizens.
“This has always been a major concern for parents, and it is a challenge internationally,” he said, adding that the government will draw on best‑practice regulations from countries such as Australia to shape the new policy.
The President highlighted the growing vulnerability of children to the dangers of social media, pointing to rising cases of cyber‑bullying and online child grooming. He stressed that safeguarding children from such threats is an essential task for state agencies, NGOs and the general public.
The proposed ban will therefore target specific applications deemed most risky, with the government planning to work closely with the platforms’ international owners to modify their services to comply with Maldivian law.
The policy will be formulated in consultation with the relevant tech companies, mirroring Australia’s current age‑verification regime, and will require amendments to the country’s existing cyber‑safety legislation.
President Muizzu assured that the restriction will not impede children’s educational progress or their ability to learn new skills online—rather, it is intended to create a safer digital environment while still allowing constructive Internet use.
The government aims to finalise the regulatory framework and launch the ban within the next year, after a period of public consultation and feedback.
“We hope to see the practical results of this initiative before the end of this year,” the President said, emphasising that the move is not a retreat from digitisation but a step towards a more secure digital future for Maldivian youth.