KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 — Children under 16 are not allowed to open their own social media accounts, although accounts managed by parents are allowed, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said.
He said the measure aims to protect minors from online safety risks, including cyber predators who may attempt to contact children through social media platforms.
“The key issue is who controls the account. We do not want children controlling the accounts themselves.
“If the account is opened by parents, at least they will know if unknown individuals try to contact their children,” he told a press conference after a Ramadan event here today.
Fahmi said the government is implementing a regulatory sandbox with social media platforms to introduce a minimum age limit of 16 for new account registrations.
He said Malaysia’s approach differs from the Age Assurance model used in Australia, with Putrajaya instead leveraging specific legislation relating to the MyKad as an additional security element for identity and age verification.
“Children can still watch content such as on YouTube, but they cannot open their own accounts as personal accounts allow unknown individuals to contact them,” he said.
He also urged parents to be more attentive to their children’s digital activities and not allow them to use devices for extended periods without supervision.
“Devices are not babysitters. Parents also have responsibilities,” Fahmi added.
