KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has reminded parents to ensure that their children under 13 do not own any social media accounts.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the commission has found that it is not appropriate for children under 13 to use social media.
The Unity Government spokesman said that most social media platforms do not permit those aged 12 and below to sign up for an account.
“To parents who are here tonight, I relay a warning from the MCMC, children under 13 are not permitted to own TikTok, Facebook, Instagram or any other social media account.
“Should there be such a case (of children under 13 having social media accounts), parents please inform me, ... we will shut down the account,” he said during his speech at the Lembah Pantai Hari Raya Aidilfitri Open House 2024 at IWK Eco Park@Lembah Pantai here last night.
Fahmi clarified that social media platforms currently do not require users to verify their birth dates and his ministry has held a series of meetings with Meta (who owns Facebook), Instagram, Whatsapp, and Telegram, to insist that they present their plans to tackle this issue.
“We looked at several matters from their side that they need to inform us beforehand. My hope is that by early May there will be an announcement on discussions with these social media platforms, especially regarding online safety for children,” he said.
— Bernama
