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Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar says her Government is prepared to consider legislation to regulate social media use by children under the age of 12, while firmly rejecting any blanket restrictions on adults as an unacceptable infringement on freedom of speech.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said she had taken note of comments by Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon, who recently called for laws to protect children from the predatory dangers of social media.

“Their concerns are valid. Our children must be safeguarded from harm,” Persad-Bissessar said. However, she warned that broad bans affecting adults would amount to “an unacceptable encroachment on freedom of speech and expression.”