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

Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology, Senator Jonathan Reid. (FP) 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,”
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