Malaysia's social media ban for minors sparks privacy debate

A ban on social media accounts for children under 16 that took effect June 1 has made Malaysia one of the latest countries to impose age-based limits on access to digital platforms .

The rules require major social media companies to prevent people younger than 16 from registering or holding accounts. Platforms are expected to verify users' ages and strengthen safeguards against harmful content, cyberbullying, grooming, scams and addictive design features.

About 8 million of the 36 million people in Malaysia are younger than 16. The Malaysian government says the measure is intended to protect children, not cut them off from technology altogether.

Officials have argued that stronger regulation is needed as minors face growing exposure to online harms and as parents struggle to monitor what children see and do on platforms designed to hold their attention for as long as possible.

The rules apply to large platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, placing much of the enforcement burden on multinational technology firms.

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Governments around the world are tightening online safety rules for children . In December, Australia became the first country to ban social media for people younger than 16 .

In March, Indonesia became the first country in Southeast Asia to impose such a ban, applying restrictions to YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox.