Sri Lanka weighs social media restrictions on minors

Deputy Minister of the Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne said discussions are currently underway on whether limits should be imposed on social media use by students and minors, following an increase in incidents linked to digital platforms, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.

According to Weeraratne, responsibility for any such decision would lie with either the Ministry of Mass Media or the Ministry of Education. Once a policy decision is reached, relevant authorities would provide the technical support required to implement the measures.

He emphasized that no final decision has yet been taken, but said the country must confront the harm social media content can cause to the mental well-being of underage children.

Weeraratne added that social media companies could cooperate with local telecommunications providers to enforce restrictions, noting that similar mechanisms are already in place in several other countries. He said the necessary technical capacity already exists and could be applied domestically if required.

Any move to restrict access, he stressed, would need to be backed by a formal government policy and a comprehensive implementation plan before enforcement.

Globally, governments have been increasing oversight of children’s access to social media, driven by concerns over cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content, and deteriorating mental health among minors. A notable example is Australia, where the world’s first nationwide ban on social media use by underage children came into force in December 2025.