Media Monitoring Africa director William Bird said many governments were grappling with the impact of social media on children and young people.

“It is also the case that many nations are reviewing the age limit for young people to have access to social media. It's tempting and even understandable that states would take these extreme actions,” he said.

Bird warned that blanket restrictions may not adequately address the complexity of online harms.

“The problem is that states have few tools to address what is a nuanced and multifaceted set of issues. So banning is like using a sledgehammer to build. It may have some effect but it also has material downsides,” he said.

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