Besides investing in digital literacy, she said such an approach would involve designing platforms with safety in mind, strengthening accountability and supporting parents and caregivers. Selvakumar said that “teen accounts”, with restricted visibility, supervision and built-in safety measures, could serve as an alternative to a total ban. He cited the recent ban in Australia as an example, which led to spikes in downloads of obscure platforms lacking safety features. Last November, the Cabinet approved raising the minimum age for social media accounts to 16, with implementation expected by mid-2026. The move comes as part of wider efforts to tackle cyberbullying, exploitation and exposure to harmful content under the Online Safety Act, which comes into effect in July.

Source: The Star February 19, 2026 04:10 UTC