The Nationalist Party on Thursday presented a private member's bill aimed at tackling solitude and social isolation through a coordinated national strategy, education reform, and tighter regulation of social media use among minors.
The draft law, titled the "Combating of Loneliness and the Strengthening of the Well-being of Society Act," was tabled in Parliament by Nationalist MP Ivan Bartolo, whose shadow portfolio includes loneliness. He presented the bill alongside fellow MPs Charles Azzopardi and Justin Schembri during a special sitting that concluded Social Justice Week.
Central to the proposal is the creation of a National Advisory Council on Loneliness and Social Connection. The council would include three representatives each from five sectors: mental health professionals, educators, social workers, civil society representatives, and individuals with direct experience of loneliness. The inclusion of people with lived experience is intended to ensure that policymaking reflects real-life challenges rather than abstract theory.
The council would be coordinated by the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, which would act as a link between stakeholders and oversee the implementation of a national strategy addressing loneliness and social isolation.
A key structural measure in the bill is the introduction of a mandatory Social Connection Impact Statement. Any ministry or public authority developing a new policy, programme, or project would be required to assess from the outset how the initiative could affect loneliness, social isolation, and opportunities for social connection. The measure seeks to embed social well-being considerations across all areas of governance.
The bill also outlines reforms within the education sector. It proposes that the Education Ministry strengthen Personal and Social Career Development (PSCD) lessons by introducing programmes focused on mindfulness, critical thinking, life skills, emotional literacy, self-worth, and self-care. These measures aim to equip young people with tools to build resilience and meaningful relationships.
Another prominent provision is the introduction of a "Right to Disconnect" for minors under 16. The proposal would require the State to mandate default safeguards and friction settings on social media accounts belonging to minors. Specifically, platforms would be required to disable features such as infinite scroll and auto-play between 10pm and 7am.
In addition, AI-driven platforms operating in Malta would need to submit an annual audit to the proposed council, demonstrating that their algorithms do not prioritise high-arousal or negative-engagement content for minors. The bill argues that such content can contribute to social withdrawal and declining mental well-being.
The legislation also emphasises the importance of meaningful time between children and their parents or guardians, identifying family interaction as a core pillar of mental health and social cohesion.
During the concluding parliamentary session, Opposition Leader and PN leader Alex Borg described loneliness as a modern epidemic requiring stronger political commitment. He said assigning the loneliness portfolio to Bartolo reflected that priority and praised the proposed bill as potentially life-changing. Borg also linked the initiative to broader social challenges, including the rising cost of living, housing pressures, in-work poverty, discrimination, and inequality in access to essential services.
The sitting opened with an address by Speaker Anġlu Farrugia, before the bill was formally presented for consideration.