Minister Reid: No plans yet to restrict children’s access to social media

As several countries move to ban children from accessing social media, Barbados says it is not yet at the stage where such a move is being considered.

On December 10, Australia enacted legislation banning children aged 16 and under from accessing social media platforms. The decision has drawn international attention as governments grapple with the impact of digital spaces on young people.

Under the Australian ban, platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, Kick, Reddit, Twitch and X (formally Twitter), have agreed to comply, using age verification technology to identify under-16 users and suspend their accounts.

Other countries exploring similar measures include France, Spain, Belgium, Norway, Italy, Malaysia, Denmark, Pakistan and South Korea.

However, Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology, Senator Jonathan Reid confirmed that while Barbados is closely watching these developments, no such restrictions are currently on the cards.

“We haven’t considered it, but obviously we have a very strong interest in what other places are doing, and we look forward to seeing what are some of the impacts of that decision and maybe how we can learn the lessons and do better by our people,” Reid said.

Reid acknowledged that while social media carries clear risks, it also offers meaningful benefits, particularly for young people.

“There’s obviously tremendous benefits that can be derived and have been derived from social media . . . there’s obviously things that are inherently not all right with different things that can be appropriated through social media, whether it’s fake news, whether it’s bullying, whether it’s hate speech,” he stated.

The minister underscored the need to balance those benefits and risks, while protecting free speech, which he described as central to Barbadian identity.

“The reality is that there needs to be a serious look from our perspective on how we can leverage the goods of social media and advanced technologies while negating against the bad of things, so while we are not at a point in time where any such thing is being considered, this is obviously a country where free speech is cherished,” Reid said.

However, he noted that scientific evidence pointed to harmful effects on young minds, particularly when social media is overconsumed, and said protective measures may still be necessary.

“Obviously there are certain guard rails that need to be considered, especially if it’s detrimental to a vulnerable part of the population of young people,” Reid added.

Earlier this year, the National Organisation of Women (NOW) raised concerns about the increased prevalence of cyber abuse. Head of the organisation, Melissa Savoury-Gittens, said digital violence remains widely misunderstood.

“People still think of gender violence as mostly physical, but digital abuse is growing. This theme comes at the right time, especially with the evolution of AI and more. It helps us to shine a light on areas people don’t think about, and it shows where our laws and our protection systems are lacking. Once we see the gaps, we can work towards putting the right measures in place,” she said.

Meanwhile, Director of the Criminal Justice Research and Planning Unit (CJRPU), Cheryl Willoughby, has also called for a study into the influence of social media on youth behaviour.

“We have to decipher that and how best we are going to respond, not only as a department, but as a society; we have to work together,” Willoughby said, referencing crime trends among young people over the past year.

lourainnegraham@barbadostoday.bb