Malaysia on Monday began enforcing new rules that bar children under the age of 16 from holding social media accounts, marking one of Southeast Asia’s most significant moves to strengthen online protections for minors.
The regulations require major platforms with at least eight million users, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, to introduce age-verification systems and prevent underage users from creating accounts.
Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said the rollout for existing users would take place progressively over the next six months. Users identified as younger than 16 will be given a one-month window to download or transfer personal data, such as photos and videos, before restrictions or account suspensions are imposed.
Companies that fail to comply with the new rules could face penalties of up to 10 million ringgit (US$2.5 million). However, parents will not face legal action if children bypass the restrictions.
Authorities say the measures are designed to shield children from cyberbullying, harmful content and addictive platform features that encourage excessive screen time.
“These measures help strengthen the protection of children in the online environment, while providing added reassurance to parents in navigating increasingly complex digital risks,” the regulator said in a statement.
Malaysia joins a growing list of countries tightening controls around children’s access to social media.
Australia, Brazil and Indonesia have already introduced social media restrictions, while Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are studying comparable approaches.
Greece has also announced plans to prohibit social media access for children under 15 from January next year.
Technology companies have yet to explain how they will fully implement Malaysia’s requirements. Earlier this year, Clara Koh, Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia, warned that a blanket ban could unintentionally push teenagers toward unregulated online spaces. She highlighted Meta’s “teen accounts” feature, which limits contact, screen time and exposure to inappropriate material for younger users.
The move comes amid increasing global scrutiny over social media’s impact on children’s mental health. In March, a U.S. jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay millions of dollars in damages in a case alleging that platform design features contributed to harm suffered by a young user.
Among Malaysian parents, reactions to the policy remain mixed. Some parents say limiting screen time has encouraged their children to pursue offline hobbies, from reading and repairing household appliances to cooking and crafts.
Others, however, worry the policy may be overly restrictive, arguing that social media can still be beneficial when used under parental supervision, particularly for educational purposes such as exam preparation on YouTube.
Critics have also raised concerns about privacy and surveillance, warning that requiring government identification for age verification could create new risks around data protection.
They have further questioned how effective the rules will be without penalties for parents who help children bypass the restrictions.
As Southeast Asian governments continue grappling with online safety concerns and the mental health impact of digital platforms on young users, Malaysia’s latest move could become a model for similar regulations across the region.