Malaysia Bans Social Media Accounts For Children Under 16
Malaysia has introduced new online safety rules that ban children under the age of 16 from creating social media accounts. The new regulations came into effect on Monday and are aimed at protecting young users from harmful online content and digital risks.
Under the new rules, major social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube must verify the age of users before allowing them to register.
The regulations apply to platforms with more than eight million users in Malaysia.
According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), children below 16 years are not allowed to sign up for social media accounts.
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Platforms will be required to introduce age verification systems, including checks using government-issued documents such as identity cards and passports.
The new measures are part of Malaysia’s Online Safety Act, which also includes the Child Protection Code and Risk Mitigation Code. These rules require social media companies to take stronger action against harmful content and improve user safety.
Platforms must establish effective reporting systems, verify advertisers, and label manipulated or misleading content when necessary.
Companies that fail to comply with the regulations could face fines of up to 10 million Malaysian ringgit (approximately USD 2.5 million).
Malaysia joins a growing list of countries introducing restrictions on children’s social media use. Australia became the first country to pass similar laws requiring platforms to remove accounts held by users under 16.
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Indonesia also introduced a social media ban for children under 16 earlier this year to protect them from cyberbullying, online pornography, and internet addiction.
Several other countries, including Turkey, Norway, France, Spain, Greece, and Denmark, are also considering or implementing similar measures as concerns continue to grow over the impact of social media on children’s mental health and wellbeing.
The Malaysian government has given social media companies a grace period to implement the new requirements before strict enforcement begins.
