As Australia’s ban on social media use for individuals under sixteen approaches, it appears Malaysia now intends to implement a similar system starting next year. The country’s communications minister, Fahmi Fadzil, reportedly stated the administration is considering systems to implement age restrictions on social media platforms. This would bar users under sixteen years old from platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X. He expressed hope that by next year social media platforms will comply with the government’s decision to prevent those under sixteen from opening user accounts.
Malaysia would join a growing list of countries implementing age restrictions or verification measures to protect children from the risks associated with social media usage. Australia has already passed a law that will come into force on December tenth, mandating social media sites deactivate accounts belonging to users under sixteen.
France, Denmark, Italy, and Norway are all working on similar age-restriction measures for social media platforms. In the United States, twenty-four states have so far enacted age-verification laws. Utah became the first US state to require app stores to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for minors downloading apps.
The United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act also came into effect in July. It mandates social media and other online platforms block children’s access to harmful content or face substantial fines. The UK requires strong age checks for high-risk content, such as material related to self-harm and eating disorders, to protect users under eighteen.