Social media ban: Malaysia has introduced strict new online safety rules that prevent children below the age of 16 from creating social media accounts. The regulations came into effect on Monday and apply to major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

The new measures are part of Malaysia’s Online Safety Act and are aimed at protecting children from harmful online content, cyberbullying and Internet addiction.

According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), all social media companies with more than eight million users in the country must follow the new rules. However, platforms have been given some time to fully implement the changes, though authorities have not announced a fixed deadline.

Age verification now compulsory

Under the new rules, social media platforms must verify the age of users before allowing them to create accounts. Companies may use official government documents such as identity cards or passports to confirm a person’s age.

The regulator said children under 16 will not be allowed to register for new accounts. Existing users who fail to complete age verification may also face restrictions on account access and platform features.

Malaysia’s government said the move is not designed to completely block children from using the internet. Instead, the aim is to ensure safer and age-appropriate access to digital platforms.

Platforms warned over harmful content

Apart from age checks, the law also requires companies to take stronger action against harmful online content.

Social media platforms must introduce better systems for reporting abuse, responding to complaints, verifying advertisers and identifying manipulated or misleading content.

Authorities warned that companies failing to comply with the rules could face fines of up to 10 million Malaysian ringgit, which is around USD 2.5 million.

Global push to regulate children’s social media use

Malaysia joins a growing list of countries tightening rules around children’s access to social media.

Australia recently became the first country to force platforms like TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube to remove accounts belonging to users under 16. Indonesia also introduced a similar ban earlier this year to protect children from online risks such as pornography and cyberbullying.

Countries, including Turkey, Norway, France, Spain, Greece and Denmark are also considering or introducing restrictions on social media use for minors.

Rights groups oppose blanket ban

Despite the government’s safety concerns, several digital rights groups have criticised Malaysia’s decision.

Freedom of expression organisation Article 19 and other groups said children should not be completely restricted from social media. They argued that governments should focus more on improving platform safety instead of imposing blanket bans.

The groups also said social media companies should change their business practices to better protect young users online.

- With inputs from agencies

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