Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced on Sunday (Nov 23) that Malaysia is studying age-restriction frameworks used in Australia and other countries, with the aim of implementing similar safeguards next year. He said the move is necessary to shield young users from cyberbullying, financial scams, predatory behaviour and other forms of online harm.
“We hope that by next year, social media platforms will comply with the government’s decision to bar those under the age of 16 from opening user accounts,” Fahmi told reporters, according to a video posted by The Star.
Concerns over the impact of social media on children’s mental health and safety have grown worldwide, with major tech companies — including TikTok, Snapchat, Google, and Meta — facing lawsuits in the United States for allegedly contributing to a youth mental-health crisis.
Australia is slated to deactivate all under-16 social media accounts next month, a sweeping measure closely followed by global regulators. Several European countries — including France, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Greece — are jointly testing a standardised age-verification app.
Closer to home, Indonesia announced plans in January to set a minimum age for social media use, but subsequently opted for more moderate regulations requiring stronger content filtering and age verification by tech platforms.
Malaysia, meanwhile, has tightened scrutiny of online platforms in recent years amid rising concerns over harmful content, including online gambling and posts involving race, religion or royalty. Under new regulations implemented in January, platforms with more than 8 million users in Malaysia must obtain an operating license.
The upcoming ban is expected to further reshape how major tech companies operate in the country as authorities push for stricter child-safety controls.
