KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has introduced sweeping new regulations prohibiting children under the age of 16 from creating social media accounts, becoming one of the first developing countries to implement a nationwide restriction of its kind as part of efforts to enhance online safety for minors.
The measures, which came into effect on June 1, require major social media platforms to verify the ages of users before allowing them to register new accounts. The regulations apply to widely used services including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and other prominent digital platforms operating in the country.
The new framework forms part of Malaysia’s Online Safety Act 2025 and is being overseen by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the country’s communications regulator.
Under the rules, individuals below the age of 16 will no longer be allowed to open social media accounts. To ensure compliance, platform operators must implement age-verification systems using official government-issued documents such as national identity cards, passports or recognised digital identity records.
Authorities have also extended the requirements to existing account holders. Users currently registered on social media platforms will be required to verify their ages during a transition period designed to facilitate the implementation of the new regulations.
The government said the rules cover major social media companies with significant user bases in Malaysia and are intended to place greater responsibility on digital platforms for safeguarding younger users.
Companies that fail to comply with the new requirements could face fines of up to 10 million Malaysian ringgit, equivalent to approximately $2.5 million, under the provisions of the legislation.
Six-month transition for existing accounts
According to MCMC, age verification for existing users will be conducted gradually over the next six months. Accounts found to belong to users under the age of 16 will not be immediately removed.
Instead, affected users will be given a one-month grace period to download, transfer or preserve their personal data, including photographs, videos and other digital content, before restrictions or account suspensions take effect.
Malaysian officials stressed that the initiative is not aimed at preventing children from accessing technology or using the internet. Rather, they said the policy seeks to create a safer online environment by encouraging greater accountability among social media companies while reinforcing the role of parents and guardians in supervising young users’ digital activities.
The government argues that stronger safeguards are needed to address growing concerns about the impact of social media on children’s wellbeing, particularly in relation to mental health, online safety and exposure to harmful or inappropriate content.
Authorities have intensified scrutiny of digital platforms amid rising reports of cyberbullying, online fraud, child exploitation and content capable of inflaming racial or religious tensions in the multicultural Southeast Asian nation.
In addition to the age-verification requirements, Malaysia’s new Child Protection Code and Risk Mitigation Code oblige technology companies to strengthen content moderation systems, improve safety mechanisms and reduce children’s exposure to potentially harmful material generated through recommendation algorithms.
The regulations represent one of the most comprehensive digital child-protection initiatives introduced in the region and reflect a broader global trend towards tighter oversight of social media platforms. Malaysia joins a growing number of countries seeking to impose stricter controls on children’s access to social networking services.
Australia has already approved landmark legislation aimed at restricting social media use among minors and compelling platforms to remove underage accounts, while several European countries have explored enhanced age-verification systems and tougher online child-safety measures.
As governments worldwide grapple with the challenges posed by digital platforms, Malaysia’s latest move signals an increasingly proactive approach to balancing technological access with the protection of younger internet users.
