Khaberni - Malaysia intends to ban children under the age of 16 from opening social media accounts, starting next year, in order to protect them from internet harms, in a similar step to stringent measures taken by Australia.
Malaysian Communications Minister, Fahmi Fadil, said yesterday, Sunday, that his country will enhance the online safety of minors through new verification rules, according to Bloomberg News, and added: "We hope that by next year, social media platforms will comply with the government's decision."
Why does Australia seek to ban social media on children's devices?
Fahmi explained that Malaysia will monitor how the ban on social media for those under 16 is implemented in Australia, which will begin on December 10, and the Malaysian government had decided, last October, to raise the minimum age for social media users from 13 to 16 years old.
Fahmi confirmed that the anticipated step is in line with the protection measures provided in the Online Safety Law, which will come into effect on the first of January next year.
