Malaysia will prohibit users under age of 16 from signing up for social media starting from 2026, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has said, adding that social media platforms will be required to ensure proper age verification.
“We expect all platform providers to be ready to implement eKYC by next year,” Fadzil was quoted by The Straits Times newspaper as saying on Sunday.
In addition to implementing the age verification system, the Malaysian government is to also consult platforms and the public in the coming months about the details of establishing a compliance monitoring mechanism.
In October, the Malaysian government decided to raise the minimum social media age from 13 to 16 in a bid to defend teenagers from cyberbullying, online fraud and sexual violence via the internet.
