Minister Malatsi weighs online safety guardrails for SA as global under-16 social media bans gather pace - EWN

South Africa is considering stronger online safety measures for children as governments across the world move towards hard legal restrictions on social media access for minors.

The debate comes as Safer Internet Day is marked on 10 February, amid growing concern about cyberbullying, online scams, grooming and exposure to harmful content.

Australia introduced a blanket ban on social media use for under-16s in December last year. Spain followed earlier this month, becoming the first European country to implement a similar restriction. Malaysia has also adopted comparable measures.

Other European countries, including France, Norway, Denmark and Greece, are moving to restrict access for children under 15, while the UK is consulting on an Australian-style model. China has taken a different approach, introducing a ‘minor mode’ that limits screen time and content rather than banning access outright.