Malaysia aims to ban social media for children under 16 from next year: Communications minister

Malaysia aims to implement a social media ban for children under 16 from 2026, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said on Sunday.

Fadzil told reporters after a seminar that the government aims to enhance children's online safety, and platform providers will be required to implement electronic know your customer (eKYC) identity verification by 2026.

"We expect all platform providers to be ready to implement the measures by next year," Fadzil was quoted as saying my multiple news outlets.

On Australia implementing an age limit on social media users from Dec. 10, he said approaches by other countries will be monitored closely.

Starting next month, Australia will become the first country to prohibit individuals aged 16 and under from using social media platforms such as Reddit, Kick, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat, Threads, and YouTube.

The Malaysian minister said the aim is part of wider protections with the Online Safety Act coming into force on Jan. 1, 2026.

He also encouraged parents to promote outdoor activities for young children rather than screen time, stressing the importance of supervising their children's use of devices.

In October, the Cabinet made the decision to raise the minimum age for social media users to 16.