Malaysia says it will ban social media for under-16s from next year

Malaysia intends to outlaw social media for users under the age of 16 starting next year, joining a growing list of nations that have chosen to restrict access to digital platforms due to concerns about child safety.

In response to the need to protect young people from online harms like cyberbullying, financial scams, and child sexual abuse, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced on Sunday that the government was reviewing the mechanisms used to place age restrictions on social media use in Australia and other countries.

According to a video of his remarks posted online by the local newspaper The Star, “We hope that social media platforms will follow the government’s decision to ban users under the age of 16 from opening user accounts by next year.”

Social media’s impact on children’s health and safety has grown to be a pressing issue in the world as businesses like TikTok, Snapchat, Google, and Meta Platforms, the owners of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, are facing lawsuits in the US for their roles in causing a mental health crisis.

Social media platforms in Australia are set to deactivate accounts belonging to people under the age of 16 next month as part of a strict ban on teenagers that is being closely monitored by authorities around the world.

For an age verification app, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, and Greece are also testing a template together.

Indonesia, Malaysia’s neighbor, announced in January that it would establish a minimum age for social media users, but later changed its mind and mandated stronger age verification standards.

In response to what it claims to be, including a rise in harmful content, including posts about race, religion, and royalty, Malaysia has recently increased its scrutiny of social media companies.