Malaysia bans social media for children under 16

Malaysia on Monday began enforcing rules barring millions of children younger than 16 from owning social media accounts, joining a global effort to tighten online safety protections for young users.

The rules require social media platforms to implement age-verification systems and block users under 16 from creating accounts. They apply to platforms with at least 8 million users, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

The government said the measures are aimed at protecting children from harmful content, cyberbullying and platform features designed to encourage excessive use.

Several countries, including Australia, Brazil and Indonesia, have introduced or announced age-based restrictions and requirements governing children's access to social media, while others are studying or developing similar measures.

WAM