– Sri Lanka is preparing new guidelines to prevent the exploitation of children on social media for commercial gain and online popularity, a practice commonly known as “kidfluencing”.

Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj said the Ministry, together with the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), was finalizing guidelines designed to promote a child-friendly media culture.The guidelines have been drafted by a panel of experts and are expected to be implemented in the near future.The initiative comes amid concerns over parents and adults involving children in dangerous activities, obscene content and material intended for adult audiences to attract online attention and generate income.he Minister stressed that children’s privacy and welfare must be protected, adding that parents do not have the right to expose their children to such risks simply to gain fame or financial benefits.

She also warned that children placed in serious danger through irresponsible social media practices could be considered vulnerable and may require protective intervention Internationally, countries are introducing measures to address the commercial exploitation of children online. France and the U.S. state of California have adopted legal protections concerning children’s participation in online content and the handling of income generated through such activities.Some measures include requirements to safeguard earnings for children’s future benefit and restrictions on their participation in content production.

The Minister said Sri Lanka also aimed to establish a framework that would strengthen the protection of minors and bring greater responsibility to social media practices involving children.