Praneeta Prakash 
There are plans to bar social media for children in Fiji until they reach the age of 16.
This was discussed at the first meeting of the Taskforce on Social Media Deferment that was held in Suva yesterday.
The forum brought together key agencies to begin work on an important step to better protect our children in the online space.
The Taskforce stresses that this is not about banning social media.
It is about delaying access until children reach the age of 16.
The Taskforce, chaired by Minister for Information, Lynda Tabuya alongside Minister for Communications Ioane Naivalurua, includes representatives from the Online Safety Commission, Fiji Law Reform Commission, the Ministry of Communications and Policing, and the Ministry of Information.
It discussed possible approaches for Fiji, drawing lessons from Australia’s experience with social media age restrictions.
This includes looking at options for legislation, potential study visits to learn from international best practice, and broad public consultations to hear directly from Fijians
The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to bring a Bill to Parliament later this year that will introduce a minimum age of 16 for social media access, with strong public consultation to ensure the views of parents, young people, educators, and communities are heard.
This work is being carried out under the mandate of the Office of the Prime Minister and reflects our shared responsibility to create a safer digital environment for our children.
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