June 3, 2026 | 02:22 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government of Malaysia has officially enforced a ban on social media use for minors under the age of 16, effective today. The new regulation specifically targets social media platforms that boast more than eight million active users within the country.The government has warned that tech companies violating the mandate could face hefty fines of up to 10 million ringgit, or approximately Rp45 billion. With the policy now in force, all Malaysian citizens holding accounts on the affected platforms will be required to undergo age verification to prove they are above the 16-year threshold.The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission noted that the age verification system will be rolled out gradually over the next six months. Meanwhile, underage users who hold existing accounts will be granted a one-month grace period to manage, download, or transfer their personal data before their accounts are restricted.Clara Koh, the Public Policy Director for Southeast Asia and ASEAN at Meta, expressed concerns that the sweeping ban might inadvertently drive teenagers into less supervised online spaces. She warned of them migrating to the "unregulated corners of the internet," as quoted in an Engadget report on Monday, June 1, 2026.Within Southeast Asia, Indonesia similarly introduced a social media ban for users under the age of 16 earlier this year. However, Meta previously noted that they have yet to receive formal guidelines regarding the compliance and enforcement mechanisms for the Indonesian regulation.With several other nations currently mulling identical restrictions, the implementation and enforcement of these age barriers are expected to pose a complex new challenge for global social media conglomerates.Read: How Meta Wants to Profile 13-Year-Olds on Insta, FacebookClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
