Malaysia will prohibit people aged 16 and younger from using social media starting in 2026, mirroring a similar move already underway in Australia.
The decision was announced on Sunday, Nov. 23, by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil as part of a broader effort to shield children from online harms such as cyberbullying and sexual exploitation, according to reports from The New York Times, the Associated Press, Reuters and Malaysian newspaper The Star.
“I believe that if the government, regulatory bodies, and parents all play their roles, we can ensure that the Internet in Malaysia is not only fast, widespread and affordable but most importantly, safe, especially for children and families,” Fadzil said, as reported by the AP.
He also noted that digital platforms are expected to roll out customer identity verification measures by next year.
“We hope by next year that social media platforms will comply with the government’s decision to bar those under the age of 16 from opening user accounts,” Fadzil said, according to Reuters and The Star.
The minister added that Malaysia is closely watching how Australia implements its own minimum age rules for social media, which take effect in December. “Other countries may have their own approaches, and we will study them,” he said, per The Star.
Malaysia has about 8 million residents under the age of 16, according to the Times. In September, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim suggested that social media played a role in the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old girl by a 14-year-old boy.
A separate regulation that came into force earlier this year requires platforms and messaging services with more than 8 million users in Malaysia to obtain a license, Reuters reported.
In November 2024, Australia passed a law setting a minimum age of 16 for social media accounts and strengthening some privacy safeguards, including rules around data collection. “This is a landmark reform,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at the time. “We know some kids will find workarounds, but we’re sending a message to social media companies to clean up their act.”
Australia’s restrictions are scheduled to begin on Dec. 10, according to The Guardian.
Under the law, platforms on the government’s ban list must deactivate accounts belonging to users under 16 and prevent them from creating new ones until they reach that age. Companies that fail to comply face penalties of up to $49.5 million.
Services named in the ban for under-16s include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch and Kick, The Guardian reported.
Critics of such bans argue that they limit young people’s autonomy in an increasingly digital world, where social platforms play a significant role in social life and community-building. Others question whether age restrictions can be enforced accurately and consistently at scale.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has argued that a more effective solution would be to place age controls at the operating-system or app-store level, through companies such as Google and Apple. “We believe a better approach is required: a standard, more accurate, and privacy-preserving system, such as OS/app store-level age verification,” Meta executive Antigone Davis said last month, according to the AP.
According to Australia’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, “There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that by 16, young Australians are beyond the most vulnerable stage of adolescence.”
