Malaysia enforces ban on social media accounts for children younger than 16
Summary
Malaysia has started enforcing a new rule that bans children under 16 from having social media accounts on big platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. These platforms must check users’ ages and block underage users, with penalties for companies that do not follow the law.Key Facts
- Social media platforms with over 8 million users in Malaysia must verify ages and stop users under 16 from creating accounts.
- Current users will have up to six months for age verification, and under-16 users will have one month to save their data before restrictions.
- Companies that fail to comply can be fined up to 10 million ringgit (about $2.5 million).
- Parents are not penalized if their children bypass the new rules.
- The goal is to protect children from harmful content, cyberbullying, and features encouraging too much social media use.
- Similar age restrictions are being introduced or studied in countries like Australia, Brazil, the UK, France, and South Korea.
- The Malaysian government says the rules aim to make online use safer without blocking children from using digital technology.
- Some tech companies warn that the ban might push teens to unsafe parts of the internet; for example, Meta offers “teen accounts” with safety controls.
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