Malaysia bans social media accounts for children under 16 but questions remain
Platforms must verify users’ ages and block under-16 registrations, with fines of up to 10 million ringgit for noncompliance, officials said.
- On Monday, Malaysia began enforcing rules requiring major social media platforms to verify users' ages, barring children under 16 from registering new accounts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
- The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission implemented the Child Protection Code following a series of violent incidents authorities attributed to online activity and gaming platforms.
- Platforms must implement "age verification measures" against government records such as passports or MyKad; non-compliance could result in fines reaching 10 million ringgit, or about $2.5 million, the MCMC said.
- While many parents support the move, critics argue that requiring government IDs for verification creates privacy issues, and Benjamin Loh, social science lecturer at Monash University, noted that age-based restrictions have yet to prove consistently effective.
- Tech firms are currently working to meet these requirements, though Clara Koh, Meta's director of public policy for Southeast Asia, cautioned that a "blanket ban" could drive teenagers toward unregulated corners of the internet.
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Malaysia's social media account ban for under-16s kicks in on Jun 1, but questions remain
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had previously announced the social media ban on May 22, which sought to reduce youths’ exposure to harmful content on digital platforms.
Critics raise concerns over Malaysia enforcing social media ban for children under 16
Malaysia began enforcing new rules on Monday that prevent children younger than 16 from social media. This forms part of a growing global concern over youth online safety, but critics have raised concerns over data protection, potential surveillance, and cutting children off from valuable platforms. The new policy includes age verification for existing users. If a user is identified as being under the age of 16, they will have a month to downloa…
In Malaysia, too, a social media ban applies to children and adolescents under the age of 16.
Malaysia Imposes Ban on Social Media for Children Under 16
Malaysia began enforcing its social media ban for children on Monday, requiring all social media platforms with 8 million or more users to implement age-verification systems that will prevent people under 16 from creating accounts. The post Malaysia Imposes Ban on Social Media for Children Under 16 appeared first on Breitbart.
Malaysia Begins Australian-Style Social Media Ban for Under 16s
Malaysia has implemented an Australian-style social media ban, barring those aged under 16 from registering accounts on major platforms, its communications regulator announced on June 1. The Southeast Asian country joins a growing number of governments that regulate access to online platforms amid widespread concern over social media’s impact on children’s developing minds. Social media platforms with at least 8 million users, including Facebo…
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