ALBAWABA - In a new report, Malaysia plans to ban social media for users under 16 starting next year due to rising concerns about online child safety. This comes after growing concerns regarding social media's negative impact on children globally.
According to Al Jazeera, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil stated on Sunday that the government aims to implement age restrictions for social media similar to countries such as Australia and the UK to protect minors from cyberbullying, scams, and sexual abuse.
Malaysia to ban children under 16 from social media
He told local reporters, "We hope by next year that social media platforms will comply with the government’s decision to bar those under the age of 16 from opening user accounts."
Social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and many more have been linked to causing mental health issues among children. Meta, which has Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp under its umbrella, is facing lawsuits due to causing mental health issues among children in the US.
According to several reports, Australia is expected to implement a new decision by next month by deactivating all social media accounts belonging to children 16 years and below.
Meanwhile, neighboring countries such as Indonesia plan to carry out a new rule that calls for social media companies to implement stricter age verification and filter harmful content.
