Malaysia Bans Youths Under 16 from Social Media

The Risk Mitigation Code requires risk assessments, stricter content moderation, and a mechanism for flagging content. Platforms that fail to meet these requirements face fines of up to ten million Ringgit, equivalent to approximately 2.5 million US dollars.

New and existing users will be required to verify their age using recognized identification documents. This includes the Malaysian identity card MyKad, a passport, or the national digital identity system MyDigital ID. Accounts for individuals under 16 will no longer be permitted.

Platforms are also obligated to redesign their algorithms and recommendation systems to reduce users' exposure to harmful content. Paid advertising will be restricted to verified account holders.

International Precedents and Local Incidents

The MCMC stated that service providers will be given a grace period to implement the new rules. Parents whose children circumvent the ban will not be penalized.

By introducing strict age limits, Malaysia follows similar steps taken by Australia and Indonesia in their efforts to better protect children online. Other countries are also considering comparable measures.

The debate surrounding the online safety of minors in Malaysia has recently been fueled by several incidents. In Johor, a six-year-old boy was allegedly attacked by his nine-year-old brother after accidentally deleting game progress on the platform Roblox.

In the states of Terengganu and Malacca, eight teenagers were arrested in two separate cases of gang rape. The accused are alleged to have filmed the assaults and distributed them online.