During a press briefing held at the President's Office today, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced the Government's decision to restrict access to certain social media platforms for children under the age of 16, with full implementation to follow within a maximum period of one year.
The President cited grooming, cyberbullying, and content contrary to Islamic values as key concerns, describing the restriction as a necessary safeguard for children's wellbeing and the broader community. He framed it as a critical step in protecting Maldivian youth from the dangers of an increasingly globalised world — one that reflects the Administration's commitment to human development, without signalling a retreat from digitalisation or disrupting children's education.
Reaffirming that the Administration's overarching vision is built on the Maldives 2.0 policy, the President noted that digitalisation efforts are being fast-tracked across the State to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability. He added that digital transformation minimises direct human intervention, thereby eliminating personal bias and undue influence from administrative processes.
The President further described Maldivian society as a close-knit community anchored in Islamic values and principles. To this end, he stated that arrangements for daily prayers will soon be established across all sports grounds and complexes, and that regulations will be introduced in the coming months to pause sports activities during prayer times, commencing from the call to prayer for a designated duration.
