A new online petition has been submitted to Parliament calling for a ban on social‑media use by children under the age of 16.
The petition was filed through the Parliament’s newly launched electronic petition system (e‑petition portal), which went live on Tuesday. The first petition submitted on Monday sought action against people wearing revealing clothing such as bikinis in public spaces. A second petition has now been filed.
The latest petition argues that Maldivian children are increasingly using mobile phones and other devices to access platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, often without parental supervision. It claims these platforms expose children to inappropriate language and behaviour, and calls for laws and regulations to be updated in response.
The petition proposes amending legislation to prevent minors under 16 from accessing platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok, as well as certain newspapers and websites that allow anonymous posting.
It also calls for counselling or guidance for children and parents if minors continue to use social media after such a law is enacted. Additionally, it proposes granting the Gender Ministry authority to intervene in cases where children repeatedly violate the rules.
FILE - In this July 30, 2019, file photo, the social media application, Facebook is displayed on Apple's App Store. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky)
The petition further calls for a ban on mobile phones in schools and colleges.
As of Tuesday, the petition had received 13 signatures. Under Parliament’s petition rules, a petition must gather at least 500 signatures, and if it falls short, it must be sponsored by an MP to proceed.
At the start of the current academic year, the government banned students below Grade 10 from bringing mobile phones to school, while students in Grades 11 and 12 are required to keep their phones in lockers during class hours.
Many countries around the world are currently tightening rules on children’s digital exposure, with governments and regulators introducing age‑based restrictions, parental‑control requirements and limits on social‑media access for minors.