The Zimbabwean government is working on a policy that could limit children under the age of 18 from accessing social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, in a move aimed at protecting them from online harm.
Speaking at a gathering in Karoi on Sunday, Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services, Tatenda Mavetera, said the government is currently drafting a Child Online Policy that could restrict children’s access to social media platforms.
Mavetera said the proposed policy is intended to shield young people from online risks and help create a safer digital space for children.
The move comes as part of a growing global trend where governments are introducing laws to restrict, or in some cases ban, children’s access to social media.
Around the world, authorities are increasingly treating largely unregulated social media as a public health concern for minors, pointing to issues such as digital addiction, cyberbullying and mental health challenges.
In December 2025, Australia became the first country to enforce a nationwide ban on social media for under-16s. By March 2026, social media companies had already removed more than 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children. Platforms including TikTok, Instagram and X face fines of up to 49.5 million Australian dollars for failing to comply.
Following Australia’s lead, Indonesia announced that it will introduce a similar ban for children under 16 starting on March 28, 2026. The government there cited what it called a “digital emergency” linked to online fraud and child safety.
Meanwhile, China already has some of the strictest youth controls in the world. Its system places users under 18 into a special “youth mode”, limiting daily screen time and enforcing overnight curfews that make certain apps inaccessible to minors.
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