Malaysia is moving to ban children under 16 from creating social media accounts starting in 2026, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil announced on Sunday (24 Nov).
He revealed the upcoming restriction after officiating the closing ceremony of the Cyber Scam Awareness Seminar for the Indian Community in Kuala Lumpur, local media reported.
According to the New Straits Times (NST), the Cabinet made the decision in an effort to curb cross-generational cyber crime, including issues involving paedophilia.
The move follows growing concerns over rising cyberbullying, sexual harassment, and disciplinary problems among children linked to early, unregulated social media exposure, reports The Sun.
Mr Fahmi said the Cabinet hopes that social media platforms will comply with the restriction “by next year”.
“The government is also looking into the implementation of age limits as done in Australia and several other countries, especially in terms of mechanism,” he added.
Image courtesy of Odua Images on Canva. For illustration purposes only.
Australia is set to ban children under 16 from platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit, and Twitch from 10 Dec 2025.
“Different countries may take different approaches, but we will study which method is most suitable to ensure that those under 16 are prevented from having social media accounts,” Mr Fahmi said, as quoted by NST.
To implement the ban, the government is considering requiring social media platforms to implement e-KYC verification using government IDs such as MyKad, passports, and MyDigital ID.
e-KYC, or electronic Know Your Customer, is an automated process companies use to verify a person’s identity online, using technology such as biometrics and digital uploads of official documentation.
“We expect platforms to be able to implement this by next year,” Mr Fahmi said, adding he believes that the government, regulatory bodies, and parents all play roles in ensuring internet safety, especially for children and families.
Also read: Malaysian authorities summon TikTok over alleged delays in tackling fake news on platform
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