Malaysia Bans Social Media Accounts for Users Under 16

Malaysia has introduced new online safety regulations requiring major social media platforms to verify user ages and block individuals under 16 from creating accounts. The mandate applies to platforms with at least 8 million users in the country, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission stated that companies have been granted a grace period to implement the new requirements, though the exact duration of this period remains unspecified. Platforms that fail to comply face fines of up to 10 million Malaysian ringgit, approximately $2.5 million. Beyond age restrictions, the regulations mandate more effective management of harmful content and the verification of advertisers. The policy also requires platforms to label manipulated content when necessary.