Malaysia to implement social media ban for teens under 16

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysians under 16 will not be allowed to sign up for social media accounts from 2026, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

Reiterating that the government plans to improve children’s online safety, he said platform providers are expected to implement electronic know your customer (eKYC) identity verification in 2026.

“We expect all platform providers to be ready to implement eKYC by next year,” said Datuk Fahmi on Nov 23 after closing an online scam awareness seminar.

Noting that

Australia will implement an age limit

on social media users in December and that it will be monitored closely, he added: “Other countries may have their own approaches, and we will study them.”

He said the aim is to ensure children under 16 are prohibited from social media, adding that this move forms part of wider protections with the Online Safety Act coming into force on Jan 1, 2026.

For now, Mr Fahmi urged parents to encourage outdoor activities for young children instead of screen time. He added that parents should supervise their children’s gadget use.

In October, the Cabinet decided to raise the minimum age for social media users to 16.

Noting that this is up from the previously proposed age of 13, Mr Fahmi said all platforms will be required to implement eKYC to verify user age for registration.

He said registration must rely on official documents such as MyKad, passports and MyDigital ID.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK