Malaysia today began enforcing rules barring millions of children younger than 16 from owning social media accounts. The rules require social media platforms with at least 8 million users to implement age-verification systems.
Platforms will be required to introduce safety-by-design features, including protections against manipulative design that encourages compulsive use.
Companies that fail to comply could face penalties of up to 10 million ringgit. The government said the measures are aimed at protecting children from harmful content, cyberbullying and platform features designed to encourage excessive use.
Other countries, including Australia, Brazil and Indonesia, have also announced age-based restrictions for children’s access to social media. Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission said the rules are not intended to prevent children from accessing the internet, instead it set expectations for service providers to address online harms.