Malaysia May Ban Users Under 16 From Social Media Starting Next Year

In Brief

As Australia’s prohibition connected societal media usage for users nether 16 looms, it appears Malaysia now plans to instrumentality a akin strategy starting adjacent year.

The country’s communications minister, Fahmi Fadzil, reportedly said nan management is considering systems for implementing property restrictions connected societal media platforms, barring users nether 16 years aged from platforms for illustration Facebook, Instagram, and X, Reuters reported.

“We dream by adjacent twelvemonth that societal media platforms will comply pinch nan government’s determination to barroom those nether nan property of 16 from opening personification accounts,” nan study quoted Fadzil arsenic saying.

Malaysia would subordinate a increasing database of countries that are implementing property restrictions aliases verification measures to protect children from nan risks associated pinch societal media usage. Australia has already passed a law that will travel into unit connected December 10, mandating societal media sites to deactivate accounts belonging to users nether 16.

France, Denmark, Italy, and Norway are moving connected akin age-restriction measures for societal media platforms, and successful nan U.S., 24 states person truthful acold enacted age-verification laws. Utah became nan first U.S. state to require app stores to verify users’ ages and get parental consent for minors downloading apps.

The U.K.’s Online Safety Act besides came into effect successful July, mandating societal media and different online platforms to artifact children’s entree to harmful contented aliases look immense fines. The U.K. requires beardown property checks for high-risk content, for illustration self-harm and eating upset content, to protect users nether 18.

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