Social media reform must reflect our values | Rebecca Buttigieg

Rebecca Buttigieg, Reforms Parliamentary Secretary

In a country as small and close-knit as Malta, the wellbeing of children and vulnerable persons has always been understood as a shared responsibility. Families, schools, parishes, communities, and the state have played complementary roles in safeguarding young people.

But in this digital age, many of the risks faced by children no longer emerge in village squares or classrooms, but on screens, often unseen and unregulated. It is against this backdrop that last month along with Social Policy Minister Michael Falzon, I launched a consultation process on social media reform.

Social media is not inherently harmful. For many it offers connection and a sense of belonging in a digital network. However, the same platforms expose children to cyberbullying, sexualised content, unrealistic body images, addictive design features, and online harassment.

We have a moral duty to protect children in the digital spaces just as we do in physical public spaces. We have age limitations for driving, for alcohol consumption, for gambling, for voting, for marriage and so on. It would be inconsistent to treat the digital sphere as a regulatory vacuum.

The reality in Malta, as elsewhere, is that current age limits to access social media platforms are largely symbolic. Children often access platforms well below the stated minimum age. This undermines both parental authority and platform accountability.

Age verification can reduce exposure to inappropriate content and eliminate fake profiles. Any age assurance system must be proportionate, privacy-preserving, and compliant with EU data protection rules.

We should also be honest about whether the long-standing threshold of 13 years still makes sense. Increasingly, research and policy discussions suggest that younger adolescents may lack the emotional maturity to cope with the pressures of social media.

The question facing Malta is not whether children should be online. The real question is what kind of digital environment we are willing to accept for them.

Any future framework should be firmly aligned with European obligations such as the Digital Services Act, while also reflecting Malta’s specific realities. Stronger obligations on platforms to reduce risks to minors, curb harmful algorithmic practices, and respond swiftly to abuse are essential.

Enforcement is key. Laws that exist only on paper do little to protect children in practice. Regulatory authorities must be adequately resourced and empowered to act.

We should invest more in digital and media literacy education. Initiatives such as BeSmartOnline and school-based programmes are valuable, but they must be expanded and kept up to date.

Education should be the key that empowers children rather than isolating them from the emerging challenges in the social media sphere. Teaching our children how to navigate the online world safely is as important today as we do with road safety.

Parents, carers and educators play an irreplaceable role in shaping children’s values and habits. Open conversations at home and in schools about social media, screen time, and online behaviour remain one of the most effective protective tools.

However, it is unrealistic to expect families to manage this challenge alone. Many parents are navigating platforms that are designed to be addictive, fast-changing, and technically complex. Blaming parents when children are exposed to harm ignores the imbalance of power between families and global technology companies.

Social media reform should therefore support families by setting clear standards for platforms and providing parents with meaningful tools and guidance including a strong and structured awareness campaign.

Government is investing a lot of energy and resources for the wellbeing of our families including measures announced in this year’s budget which are tailor-made for our families. These measures must be further supported by regulations and initiatives that help families better navigate the digital age.

Freedom of expression is of paramount importance and must be always safeguarded. Social media reform is not about censorship. It is about ensuring that the digital spaces our children inhabit reflect the same values we expect in our schools, streets, and homes.

You can have your say by viewing online the Green Paper and submitting your feedback on publicconsultation.gov.mt.