Legal basis to be laid for weaning children away from digital addiction View(s):By Nidarshani WickramasingheA proposal to ban social media for children under the age of 16 has been handed to the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs by the National Child Protection Authority and is being studied. We have already identified the need to regulate social media for children and are preparing for broad discussions,’’ he said. In Asia-Pacific, Malaysia plans to introduce a social media ban for children under 16 years by July 2026. Florida has banned social media accounts for children under 14 years, while Virginia has limited children’s social media use to one hour per day. “These steps should work together withSri Lanka’s digital governance systems and child protection laws, especially the Personal Data Protection Act.

Source: Sunday Times January 31, 2026 19:41 UTC