US EditionMalaysia to ban social media for children under 16 next year
Malaysia will require social media platforms to implement age verification and safety measures under the Online Safety Act to protect youths from cyberbullying and scams.
- Next year, Malaysia will prohibit children under 16 from signing up for social media, as part of the Online Safety Act coming into force on Jan 1, 2026.
- Citing rising online harms, Fahmi said the government reviews protections against cyberbullying and scams as TikTok, Snapchat, Google and Meta Platforms face scrutiny over youths' safety.
- Platforms must implement eKYC checks using MyKad, passports and MyDigital ID, while platforms and messaging services with more than eight million users face licensing requirements introduced in January.
- Fahmi said platform providers should be ready to implement eKYC by next year as we hope social media platforms will comply with barring under-16s, while Australia’s account deactivation plan will be closely watched, the government noted.
- Several European countries are jointly testing an age-verification app, including France, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Greece, while Indonesia chose less stringent rules focusing on content filters and age verification.
104 Articles
104 Articles
Malaysia will ban the use of social media for children under the age of 16 from 2026, in a decision that reinforces the growing global trend of regulating the digital environment for minors.The bill was approved by the ministerial cabinet and announced on Sunday, November 24 by the Minister of Communications, Fahmi Fadzil.The official explained that the main objective is to protect young people from online threats, and mentioned that collaborati…
Malaysia to ban social media for children under 16 next year
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia plans to ban social media accounts for people under 16 starting in 2026, joining Australia and a growing number of countries pushing tighter digital age limits for children. Related Articles European officials welcome progress in talks on US proposals to end Russia-Ukraine war Today in History: November 24, D.B. Cooper disappears Today in History: November 23,…
Malaysia to ban social media for children under 16 next year
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia plans to ban social media accounts for people under 16 starting in 2026, joining Australia and a growing number of countries pushing tighter digital age limits for children. Related Articles European officials welcome progress in talks on US proposals to end Russia-Ukraine war Today in History: November 24, D.B. Cooper disappears Today in History: November 23,…
Malaysia to ban social media for children under 16 next year
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia plans to ban social media accounts for people under 16 starting in 2026, joining Australia and a growing number of countries pushing tighter digital age limits for children. Related Articles European officials welcome progress in talks on US proposals to end Russia-Ukraine war Philippine police deployed to arrest 18 suspects in a corruption scandal that has sparked outrage …
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