Malaysia has introduced new regulations preventing children under the age of 16 from creating accounts on major social media platforms, as part of efforts to strengthen online safety and protect minors from harmful digital content.
Read More: Malaysia to ban social media for under-16 users from next year
The new rules took effect on Monday and require social media companies to verify users’ ages using government-issued records before allowing account registration. The policy applies to major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
#NSTTV Malaysia today began enforcing age verification requirements for the registration and opening of social media accounts as a proactive measure to protect children under the age of 16 from cyber threats.
Read more: https://t.co/CGHDSpWb3o pic.twitter.com/WfQ4VIgfNs
— New Straits Times (@NST_Online) June 1, 2026
The measure was announced by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, which said the objective is not to deny children access to technology but to ensure safer online environments and encourage greater accountability among social media companies, parents and guardians.
Under the new framework, platforms that fail to comply with the age verification requirements could face fines of up to 10 million ringgit (approximately $2.5 million). Authorities have also directed social media companies to implement age verification checks for existing users over a six-month transition period.
Malaysia joins a growing number of countries that are introducing stricter regulations on children’s access to social media. Governments around the world have increasingly expressed concern about the impact of online platforms on young people’s mental health, privacy and exposure to harmful or inappropriate content.
In recent years, Malaysian authorities have intensified efforts to monitor digital platforms following a rise in harmful online material. Officials have particularly focused on content that promotes racial or religious tensions, spreads misinformation or targets national institutions.
The government maintains that the new regulations are designed to create a safer digital environment while balancing access to technology and online learning opportunities for young people.
Read More: TikTok to enforce Australia under-16 social ban
The move is expected to increase pressure on social media companies to strengthen their age verification systems and improve safeguards aimed at protecting underage users from potentially harmful online experiences.