Teenagers looking at their mobile phones in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in March 2021. / Photo via AP, Yonhap News

Malaysia went into effect with regulations banning children under the age of 16 from holding social media accounts starting from the 1st. This joins the global movement to strengthen the online safety of young users.

According to the AP on the 1st (local time), this regulation mandates social media operators to introduce age verification systems and block registrations from individuals under 16. Platforms with over 8 million users are targeted, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Companies failing to comply with the regulation could face fines of up to 10 million ringgit (approximately 3.79 billion won). However, parents will not be penalized even if their children bypass the restrictions to create accounts.

The Malaysian government stated that this measure is aimed at protecting children from harmful content, cyberbullying, and platform features that encourage excessive use. Countries such as Australia, Brazil, and Indonesia have already introduced or announced age-based restrictions, while the UK, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand, and South Korea are considering similar measures.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) explained that this regulation is not intended to block children's access to the internet or digital technologies itself. The focus lies in ensuring that operators counter online risks and equip themselves with age-appropriate safety measures.

"This measure will strengthen the protection of children in the online environment, while providing peace of mind to parents amidst increasingly complex digital risks," the MCMC stated in a announcement last month. Platforms must introduce features designed with safety by default, such as preventing manipulative designs that encourage compulsive use, and counter underage accounts and harmful content. The MCMC decided to grant a grace period to allow companies to complete building their age verification systems.

While companies have yet to present concrete implementation plans, Meta, which is a target of the regulation, expressed skepticism toward this method itself. Clara Koh, Meta's Head of Public Policy for Southeast Asia, warned last April that a blanket ban on under-16s could rather backfire. It could push teenagers out of apps equipped with protective measures and drive them into unregulated areas of the internet. She stated that Meta has introduced 'Teen Accounts' for those under 18, which restrict contact, usage time, and exposure to inappropriate content.

Malaysia's latest regulation comes as governments face mounting pressure to respond amid growing concerns over the impact of social media on children's mental health and online safety. Last March in the United States, a jury ordered Meta and YouTube to pay millions of dollars (billions of won) in damages in a lawsuit alleging that platform design features contributed to the harm suffered by a minor user.

Despite support from many parents, this measure is raising privacy concerns. "While it follows the trend, it is fueling concerns in that it requires government-issued identification for age verification," noted Benjamin Loh, a lecturer at Monash University Malaysia.

He pointed out that looking at cases in other countries, there is still no evidence that age-based restrictions have produced consistent effects. Since there are no penalty clauses for parents, accounts can easily be created under children's names at home. He added, "Unless regulators seek to correct this, this law will have little effect in stopping children from using social media."

                                                                                                                Jung Lee-na