The Malaysian government has announced plans to prohibit individuals under the age of sixteen from creating or maintaining accounts on social-media platforms, with the measure expected to take effect during 2026. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil stated that the Cabinet has approved the direction of the policy as part of a broader initiative to safeguard children from online harms such as cyberbullying, financial scams and sexual exploitation.

Mr Fadzil explained the government is studying overseas models, particularly the approach adopted by Australia, to design a workable framework for Malaysia.

Among the mechanisms under consideration is the use of electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) systems via government-issued identification such as MyKad, passports or the MyDigital ID, combined with age verification controls enforced by platform operators.

The initiative builds on earlier regulatory steps.

Since January this year, social-media and messaging platforms with more than eight million users in Malaysia must obtain a licence and comply with transparency, age-verification and content-safety requirements.

The proposed age-ban represents a further tightening of digital protections under the nation’s evolving online-safety regime.

During a pre-seminar address on cyber-scam awareness in Kuala Lumpur, Mr Fadzil reaffirmed the government’s expectation that platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok will implement the verification systems “by next year”.

He added that detailed implementation timelines and enforcement tools will be announced once consultations with industry players conclude.

While full legislative detail is still pending, expert commentary and official statements suggest the age-cap aims at the registration of new accounts and could apply to existing accounts for users under sixteen.

Authorities emphasise the role of parents, schools and digital-platform operators in ensuring children’s online environments are safe, rather than relying solely on platform self-regulation.

The move positions Malaysia alongside other jurisdictions tightening online-age limits: Australia’s ban on under-16s comes into force imminently, and several European countries are piloting age-verification tools.

Malaysian regulators have highlighted the potential for verification systems used in banking and e-wallets to serve as models for social-media compliance.

For now, Malaysian exporters, platforms and stakeholders are watching the forthcoming consultations between the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and global social-media operators, as the government seeks to navigate enforcement, privacy and implementation challenges.

The scope of the ban, the treatment of messaging-only services and the sanctions for non-compliance remain to be clarified.