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, says Malaysia’s Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

The Communications Minister reiterated the Madani government’s plan to improve children’s online safety.

He said platform providers are expected to implement electronic know your customer identity verification in 2026.

“We expect all platform providers to be ready to implement eKYC by next year,” he said on Nov 23.

He spoke after closing an online scam awareness seminar organised by IPPTAR.

Mr Fahmi said

Australia will implement an age limit

on social media users in December, and it will be monitored closely.

“Other countries may have their own approaches, and we will study them,” he said.

He said the aim is to ensure children under 16 are prohibited from social media, adding 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.

He said this is up from the previously-proposed age of 13, adding all platforms will be required to implement eKYC to verify user age for registration.

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

MalaysiaSocial mediaChildren and youth