Malaysia to Set 16-Year Minimum Age for Social Media Use
The Malaysian government has proposed that 16-year-olds be the minimum age for using social media, and the policy is to be enacted in the coming year. The decision was announced on Sunday by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who placed Malaysia as one of the first Southeast Asian countries to implement a nationwide age restriction on major platforms.
The measure was passed by the Cabinet when there was an increasing worry about cyberbullying, scams, and harmful online content. There are over 8 million children in Malaysia who are below the age of 16, and according to the regulators, stringent protection is required.
During a cyber scam seminar in Kuala Lumpur, Fahmi told media outlets that web platforms like Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and YouTube will be compelled to implement credible age-verification methods. The government is deliberating on the eKYC technologies, such as biometric checks and verification of national ID, to ascertain the ages of users.
According to Fahmi, government, regulators, and parents should work together to ensure the internet is safe for children. He further indicated that Malaysia is observing how Australia is implementing its own laws, which will come into effect on 10 December and will cause the shutdown of accounts made by underage users. The maximum financial penalty in Australia is 50 million Australian dollars in case of systemic non-compliance, and in Malaysia, the maximum penalty is still to be established, although the information is being worked out.
Since early 2025, Malaysia has increased monitoring of social media and messaging services. The services that already have over 8 million users are to ensure that licenses are obtained and that the transparency and safety standards, such as age verification and anti-scam, are adhered to.
The action is after remarks by the Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that social media power has contributed to a recent incident, whereby a 16-year-old girl was allegedly killed by a 14-year-old schoolmate. Little information exists, though the case has raised awareness about the dangers of minors being exposed to online content.
The Regulation of Social Media Age Limits Worldwide
Similar regulations are being promoted in countries all over the world. Australia is the first country to choose the right age of 16 and make it a strict age restriction to use social media. Age verification laws have been introduced or turned on in France, Denmark, Norway, and Italy. Over 20 states in the United States have put forward or passed regulations to seek parental consent or heightened liabilities of platforms. The Internet Safety Bill in the UK has already minimized the exposure of minors to hazardous content.
As Malaysia is about to introduce its own regulations, the analysts project that other countries in Southeast Asia will be following suit. They say a properly designed system can be used as a model of child online safety nationally.
