Malaysia Will Ban Teens Under 16 Years Of Access To Social Media Starting 2026

Malaysia will apply age limit for teenagers (photo: dock. unsplash)

JAKARTA Malaysia will limit youth access to social media, similar to Australia's latest policy. The country will ban users under the age of 16 from accessing social media next year.

Malaysian Communication Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced this big plan on Sunday, November 23. According to him, this needs to be done to protect the younger generation from the dangers posed by social networks.

A number of online dangers that are feared are cyber bullying, financial fraud, and child sexual abuse. Fahmi explained that the local government is currently studying the mechanisms used by other countries, including Australia.

"We hope that next year the social media platform will comply with the government's decision to ban those under the age of 16 from opening user accounts," Fahmi said, launching from local media The Star on Monday, November 24.

If these rules remain in place, big companies like TikTok, Google, to Meta's Facebook and Instagram should shut down their platforms for teens. Most likely, the concept will run like any other country.

Teenagers under 16 will not be able to access their accounts, unless they reach the specified rules. All data in his account will not be lost and will remain the same as when the owner left him.

Currently, tightening social media for teenagers is a regulatory concern in various countries, including Indonesia. In January, Indonesia also planned to set a minimum age for social media users.

However, this rule is enforced. The government prefers to focus on filtering negative content and strict age verification. With the enactment of this rule, social media needs to pay more attention to its moderation system for teenagers.