Malaysia may bar those under 13 from having social media accounts, says minister
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Malaysia is studying stricter enforcement measures, including a possible prohibition on social media accounts for children under the age of 13.
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KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications is studying stricter enforcement measures, including a possible prohibition on social media accounts for children under the age of 13, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
“Most platforms already do not allow children below 13 to have an account,” he said.
“Unfortunately, if you go to any school and ask students under 13 whether they have TikTok accounts, many will say yes – and that is a breach (of terms), acknowledged even by TikTok,” he told Parliament on July 29.
He said the ministry is exploring ways to better enforce this age restriction, noting that protecting children online must be a shared responsibility of the government, social media platforms and parents.
Datuk Fahmi said that from Jan 1, 2022, to July 15, 2025, a total of 1,443 pieces of harmful or extreme content involving children were taken down by service providers following requests from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.
These removals were carried out due to violations of the Communications and Multimedia Act and platform community guidelines, he added.
To empower teenagers in navigating today’s complex digital environment, the ministry is rolling out digital literacy modules tailored for those aged 13 and above, said Mr Fahmi.
“These modules are to ensure our teenagers understand the information landscape they live in and the steps they need to take to stay vigilant. Not everything we see on social media is necessarily true,” he added.
He also encouraged greater investment and inter-agency collaboration to develop more child-friendly local content.
He cited Durioo, a local children’s content platform that has worked closely with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, as an example of efforts that the government aims to support.
“I will ask Finas (National Film Development Corporation Malaysia) to look into how we can increase the volume of quality content for children, especially those aligned with our values,” said Mr Fahmi. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
