Malaysia’s proposed social media ban for under-16s fails to click with teens

PETALING JAYA – The proposed social media ban for Malaysians below 16 in 2026 is not clicking well with the target group of young people as they fear missing out.

Hannah Safia, 13, from Ampang, said the ban is “a bit off” for her because it seems more like ­ano­ther enforced rule to cast young people aside from global society.

“I don’t really mind that they want to impose certain restrictions with regard to social media but a ban is just a bit ‘sus’ (slang for suspicious).

“I don’t misuse social media. One of the applications I am using is Airlearn, which is a language app where I connect with my friends. I think it will be sad and upsetting if they really ban it because I will miss talking to my friends. It will directly affect me,” she said, adding that the ban was another way to keep the voice of youth out of the narrative.

Sameerah Sasi, 13, from Gom­bak, is flat out against the ban, which she described as “an unfair move by the government”.

“We use it for school projects, to connect with friends and learn new things.

“So the usage is for positive things because we are watching educational videos and learning new skills such as coding and cooking.

“This ban will affect our personal growth because we’ll miss out on learning how to use social media responsibly and be behind our friends who are allowed to use it,” she said.

Sameerah also agreed with views that the ban was a way to silence them as their age group will not have a say in decisions made involving them.

“It signals that our opinions on matters pertaining to us will be discounted.”

Meanwhile, Aisha Nazeeha, 13, from Ulu Kelang, said social media should be banned only for those under 11 years old.

“Parents should monitor their children especially the younger ones with digital devices and on online platforms. This is because they lack the understanding and are more vulnerable, making them easy targets for people who want to harm them,” she said.

“Those who are older than 12 can have phones but should also be monitored by their parents.

“Some parents don’t give ­pro­per attention to their child, which causes depression, suicidal thoughts and loneliness among them,” she added. When asked about her social media and mobile phone usage, Aisha said she uses them only for educational purposes and connecting with friends.

She pointed out that only a handful may use social media for bullying others, which warrants stern action, but it should not be a blanket ban for all.

“I think if they go ahead with the ban, it will affect many of the young users, who feel like they are not being taken seriously.

“It is just another form of silen­cing a group of people,” she said.

Based on the United Nations Children’s Fund Our Lives Online report in 2020, 91 per cent of Malaysian children aged 13 to 17 surf the internet every day, with 70 per cent of them having been exposed to disturbing content.

The proposal, according to Dr Ima Liana Esa, is very appropriate and relevant, given that ­various studies have shown that uncontrolled use of social media is one of the causes of social ­pro­blems among young people.

The Universiti Teknologi Mara senior lecturer reportedly said that although social media has its own benefits, the misuse of the platform is becoming more widespread, especially with the emergence of technology-based crimes such as paedophilia, online fraud and increasingly complex cyberbullying.

Although the move was deemed timely, the National Parents-Teacher Associations Consultative Council stressed that the spread of immoral behaviour among students cannot be attributed to social media alone.

Its president, Datuk Dr Mohamad Ali Hasan, said other channels – including programme content on paid streaming platforms – can also pose risks when consumed as uncensored entertainment, potentially affecting the moral development of the next generation.

On Nov 23, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the Cabinet has proposed that Malaysians below 16 be barred from creating social media acc­ounts starting from 2026.

He said that the measure forms part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen online safety for minors through new verification rules.

Mr Fahmi also said that the upcoming ban is aligned with protections under the Online Safety Act, which takes effect on Jan 1.

All platform providers are expected to be ready to implement eKYC (electronic-Know-Your-Customer) by 2026.

Additionally, the government will monitor

Australia’s age limit on social media users closely.

However, the law in Australia, which is seen as necessary to protect children from harmful content and algorithms, is being challenged in the nation’s highest court, with teenagers alleging the law is unconstitutional. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK