After Australia, now Malaysia to ban children under 16 from social media
Another country set to ban under 16s from social media
- Malaysia announced it will ban social media use for children under 16 from next year, following Australia's similar nationwide restriction.
- The Malaysian Communications Minister, Fahmi Fadzil, stated the ban aims to protect young people from online harms such as cyberbullying, financial scams, and child sexual abuse.
- The government is reviewing mechanisms to enforce age restrictions, expecting social media platforms to comply with the decision by 2025.
- This ban will be incorporated into the new Online Safety Act 2025, which was passed to regulate harmful content and impose responsibilities on online service providers.
- Malaysia joins a growing number of countries implementing age limits due to global concerns over social media's impact on children's mental health and safety.