Malaysia Implements Social Media Restrictions for Minors
On Monday, Malaysia began enforcing a ban on social media use by children. This new regulation mandates that all social media platforms with over 8 million users must set up age verification systems to prevent anyone under 16 from creating an account.
For those existing users who fall below the age threshold, they’ll have a month to back up their data before their accounts are removed.
Malaysia is the latest nation to join Australia in this initiative. Australia plans to introduce a social media ban for children under 16 by December 2025. Other countries, like Turkey, Indonesia, parts of India, and Greece, have also announced similar measures recently. In fact, many countries in Europe are also discussing bans for minors, aiming to implement them within the next year.
This action in Malaysia comes in the wake of a tragic incident in November 2025, where a 16-year-old girl was fatally stabbed by a 14-year-old boy. Officials, including police and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, attributed the incident to the influence of social media.
On Monday, government officials revealed that the new rules will carry hefty fines—up to $2.5 million—for social media platforms that do not comply. Importantly, there are no plans to penalize parents or young users who violate the ban; the focus is solely on the companies.
While existing teenage users have a nominal grace period of one month, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission noted that fully implementing the age verification system might take up to six months. Only then will penalties for non-compliant companies be enforced.
The platforms impacted include major players like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has voiced strong concerns about the ban, suggesting that it may push young users to less safe corners of the internet.
Clara Koh, who heads public policy for Meta in Southeast Asia, pointed out that the ban could disproportionately affect individuals who rely on online anonymity for their safety, such as stateless people, undocumented individuals, and those from marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ members.
Another point of contention is that the age verification system could lead to increased access to personal information for both social media companies and the Malaysian government.
Starting in January 2025, social media platforms with over 8 million users will need to register with the government and secure a license. Some larger platforms, including Meta and X, have chosen not to register voluntarily, making licensing a requirement under these new regulations for minors.
