Legal notice served seeking ban on social media use for children under 16

A legal notice has been served seeking a ban on the use of social media platforms, including Facebook and TikTok, for children under the age of 16, alongside stronger regulatory measures to curb the misuse of digital platforms in Bangladesh.

The notice was sent on Thursday (May 7) by Barrister Sanaullah Noori on behalf of Legal Voice Foundation to the secretary of the Posts and Telecommunications Division, the ICT secretary and the chairman of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.

According to the notice, the growing use of platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat and YouTube among children and teenagers is taking an increasingly harmful turn, contributing to addiction, exposure to harmful content and behavioural risks.

The notice claims that excessive and unregulated use of social media is depriving children of a healthy childhood, distancing them from sports and outdoor activities, and negatively affecting their physical and mental well-being.

It also warns that easy access to misinformation, propaganda and pornography through digital platforms is harming the intellectual and moral development of adolescents, making many students inattentive to studies and less interested in attending school.

The notice further alleges that the misuse of digital media has contributed to rising addiction to online gaming and pornography among teenagers, while many parents remain ill-equipped to monitor or control their children’s online activities due to limited digital literacy.

The authorities have been asked to take effective and realistic steps within 15 days of receiving the notice to regulate social media use among minors and prevent misuse of online platforms.