Malaysia will ban the use of social media by those under 16 starting next year
Malaysia intends to ban social media for minors under the age of sixteen next year due to growing worries about kid safety online.
In an effort to shield children from damage on the internet, Malaysia intends to join the increasing number of nations enacting age-based restrictions by banning anyone under the age of 16 from creating social media accounts starting next year.
In addition to announcing the planned ban on Sunday, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government is researching regulating approaches from Australia and other nations to establish age restrictions that work. He mentioned growing worries about financial fraud, sexual exploitation of youngsters, and cyberbullying.
Fahmi stated in a video released by local publication The Star that “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.”
Social media’s effects on kids are now a significant worldwide concern. In the United States, businesses like TikTok, Snapchat, Google, and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, are currently facing many lawsuits alleging that their platforms are contributing to a crisis in juvenile mental health.
International regulators will be closely monitoring Australia’s action, which is anticipated to deactivate any accounts belonging to users under the age of 16 as early as next month. In the meantime, France, Spain, Italy, Denmark, and Greece are working together to test an age-verification software that may end up becoming a standard EU model.
Indonesia, a neighbor, first declared plans to impose a minimum age on social media in January. However, they then changed their minds and mandated that internet companies use more stringent age verification and filter offensive information instead.
The examination of internet platforms has increased in Malaysia itself in recent years. Concerns are raised by authorities about posts that touch on delicate subjects including race, religion, and the monarchy, as well as internet gambling and disinformation.
Following a rule that went into effect in January, messaging services and social media platforms with over eight million Malaysian users must now apply for a license before they can operate there.
The proposed under-16 ban is a further step in Malaysia’s larger initiative to control online environments and protect youth from online dangers.
