Representational image by Berke Citak on Unsplash
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Monday began enforcing new regulations that prohibit children under the age of 16 from owning social media accounts, becoming one of the latest countries to tighten online safety protections for young users.
Under the new rules, social media companies must implement age-verification systems and prevent users younger than 16 from creating accounts. The regulations apply to major platforms with at least eight million users, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Companies that fail to comply with the requirements could face fines of up to 10 million Malaysian ringgit (approximately $2.5 million). However, parents will not be penalized if their children manage to bypass the restrictions.
The Malaysian government said the measures are intended to protect children from harmful online content, cyberbullying, and platform features that encourage excessive use of social media.
The move places Malaysia among a growing number of countries introducing age-based restrictions on social media access. Australia, Brazil, and Indonesia have either adopted or announced similar measures, while Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand, and South Korea are considering or developing comparable regulations.
Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission said the policy is not designed to prevent children from using the internet or digital technology. Instead, it seeks to ensure that online service providers implement appropriate safeguards and take greater responsibility for protecting younger users.
“These measures help strengthen the protection of children in the online environment, while providing added reassurance to parents in navigating increasingly complex digital risks,” the regulator said in a statement.