Children under 16 barred from registering for social media platforms in Malaysia

Malaysia on Monday began enforcing new rules barring children under 16 from creating social media accounts, as part of broader efforts to strengthen online safety protections for young users.

The measures, introduced under Malaysia's Online Safety Act 2025, require licensed social media platforms to implement age-verification systems using government-issued identification documents or other officially recognized records.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said the rules took effect Monday.

Under the measures, only users aged 16 and above will be allowed to register accounts and access age-appropriate platform features.

Authorities said existing users will undergo the verification process gradually over a period of up to six months. Users identified as being under 16 will be given one month to download or transfer their personal data before restrictions or other account-related measures are imposed.

The rules apply to platforms with millions of users, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

The government said the measures are intended to protect children from harmful online content, cyberbullying and addictive platform features.

Companies that fail to comply may face penalties of up to 10 million ringgit ($2.5 million).

Malaysia joins countries including Australia and Indonesia that have introduced restrictions on children's access to social media. Several other countries, including France, Thailand and South Korea, are also studying or developing similar regulations.