Malaysia has announced plans to prohibit social media accounts for children under 16 from 2026, aligning itself with a growing global movement to shield young users from online harm. The decision follows Australia’s world-first law setting a minimum age of 16 for social media platforms, due to come into force in December 2025, and adds fresh momentum to international efforts to regulate Big Tech.​

Malaysia’s Decision

Malaysia’s cabinet has approved a plan to stop users under 16 from signing up for social media accounts, with enforcement expected to begin in 2026 under the proposed Online Safety Act. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has said the move is aimed at protecting children from cyberbullying, financial scams and sexual exploitation, and will rely on stricter age verification by platforms.​

Officials are studying how Australia and other countries implement age checks, including electronic know-your-customer (eKYC) systems that use government ID cards, passports or biometrics to confirm a user’s age. The minister has indicated that platforms operating in Malaysia will be required to comply with the new age limit, but detailed rules and penalties are still being drafted.​

Australia’s World-First Law

Australia is set to become the first country to fully enforce a blanket ban on social media accounts for under-16s, with new rules taking effect from 10 December 2025. Under the law, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit and others classified as social media must take “reasonable steps” to prevent underage users from creating or keeping accounts, or face heavy fines that can reach around 50 million Australian dollars.​

In preparation, some companies have already begun tightening checks: Snapchat has started asking teenagers in Australia to verify their age, while Meta has announced it will begin shutting down accounts of users aged 13 to 15 ahead of the deadline, offering government ID or video-based age checks for those who say they were removed by mistake. The Australian government argues that the measure is necessary to reduce exposure to harmful content and design features that encourage excessive screen time among young people.​

Global Movement Gathers Momentum

The Malaysian and Australian steps come against the backdrop of a wider international push to curb children’s social media use, driven by concerns over mental health, addiction, and exposure to harmful or sexual content. Denmark has announced plans for a national ban on social media access for children under 15, with limited exceptions for 13- and 14-year-olds where parents give consent and additional safeguards are in place.​​

Across Europe, France, Greece and Spain have also advocated tighter age limits, with proposals ranging from bans for under-15s or under-16s to stronger parental consent rules and mandatory age checks on adult sites. Outside Europe, New Zealand and Norway are debating legislation that would restrict or closely regulate social media use by younger teens, often citing Australia as an example.​

Concerns over Enforcement and Privacy

Despite the growing trend, experts warn that enforcing age-based bans poses major practical and ethical challenges, especially around identity checks and data protection. Age-verification technologies such as ID scanning, biometric checks and facial analysis can help platforms detect underage users, but they also raise fears of increased data collection and surveillance of both children and adults.​

Civil liberties groups in Australia and elsewhere have cautioned that pushing all users to share sensitive identity information with platforms could create new security risks, including data breaches and misuse of personal details. At the same time, some child-safety advocates argue that without reliable verification, bans will simply encourage teenagers to lie about their age or move to less-regulated apps and websites, undermining the goals of the law.​

Impact on Young Users and Industry

The restrictions are expected to have a far-reaching impact on young people, many of whom use social media daily for communication, entertainment and learning. In Australia alone, government estimates suggest that hundreds of thousands of users aged 13 to 15 will lose access to their accounts once the new law takes effect, prompting concerns about how they will stay connected with peers and access online communities.​

Content creators and digital businesses are also watching the changes closely, fearing a hit to audience numbers and advertising revenue if large segments of teenage users disappear from major platforms. At the same time, some industry players say clearer age rules could encourage the growth of safer, youth-focused platforms and new digital services designed from the ground up with child protection in mind.​

What comes next

For Malaysia, the next year will be crucial as authorities finalise the Online Safety Act, consult with technology companies and child-rights experts, and build the systems needed to enforce the under-16 ban. Officials have signalled that social media platforms with large user bases in the country will be expected to roll out robust age checks, in line with wider requirements that big platforms obtain licences and follow national content rules.​

Globally, the debate over age limits on social media is likely to intensify, as governments balance the need to protect children online with concerns over privacy, free expression and the digital economy. For now, Malaysia’s move to follow Australia underlines how quickly the push for stricter rules on children’s social media use is gaining strength, even as questions remain about how these ambitious laws will work on the ground.​

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