On February 14, 2025, P. Naranbayar, Mongolia’s Minister of Education, announced that a Working Group has been formed to explore a potential law banning children under 16 from accessing social media platforms in the country. The group, led by Minister’s Advisor D. Gantulga, will study similar laws in other countries, with particular attention to Australia’s recent legislation.
Australia’s Law as a Model
In late November 2024, Australia passed a law preventing children under 16 from using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and TikTok. This move has drawn international attention. Now, the Mongolian Working Group is examining the effectiveness of this law and drafting similar legislation aimed at protecting children from harmful content, cyberbullying, and the mental health risks linked to excessive social media use.
Public Consultations and Data Collection
Minister Naranbayar stressed the importance of building social consensus on this issue through discussions with affected groups. He referred to a 2020 survey on “Children’s Safety in the Online Environment,” which highlighted a troubling gap between parents’ perceptions and children’s actual experiences. While 91% of parents believed their children had never been targeted online, 87% of children reported being victims of online abuse—60% of whom did not inform their parents.
“Protecting our children from online dangers is a responsibility we must take seriously,” said Naranbayar.
He also pointed out that several European countries have already implemented similar measures:
- In France, children under 15 need parental consent to access social media.
- Germany allows children between 13 and 16 to use social networks with parental supervision.
- Norway is considering raising the minimum age for social media access to 15.
- In the U.S., Canada, and the UK, parental consent is required to collect data from users under 13.
Balancing Safety with Access to Education
The Minister reassured the public that this proposed law would not restrict children’s access to educational content on platforms like YouTube and Medley. He emphasized the importance of enhancing school management systems (SMS) and learning management systems (LMS) to ensure efficient communication between teachers and students, without relying on social media tools like Facebook Messenger.
The Eduten program, which is available starting from second grade, helps children engage in learning activities for about 20 minutes at a time to prevent screen addiction. The program uses smartboards in classrooms and computer screens at home, promoting structured learning without excessive screen time.
Addressing Screen Addiction
D. Gantulga, who leads the Working Group, warned about the dangers of screen addiction, likening it to other types of addiction, such as gambling, alcohol, and drug dependency. “Excessive screen exposure leads to increased dopamine production in the brain, which can lead to long-term mental health problems,” Gantulga explained.
He noted that the Working Group is closely examining the Australian model to develop policies that would protect Mongolian children from screen addiction while encouraging healthy digital engagement.
