KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 — The government will strive to restrict the opening of new social media accounts for children under the age of 16, with its implementation expected to be as early as mid-year, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said Putrajaya will allow social media platforms enough time to activate clean-up measures, including ensuring no more children under 16 register new accounts or maintain accounts on their respective platforms.
“We expect it (implementing the 16-year-old age limit for social media use) at the end of June, if not earlier than that. It is not impossible, and if everything goes smoothly, we may start even earlier,” he said.
He said this after officiating at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2026 grand opening here today.
Previously, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it was looking into various methods to verify the ages of internet users before the minimum age limit of 16 for social media use takes effect in the second half of this year.
According to the MCMC, it has held engagement sessions with social media service providers, such as Meta, Google and TikTok, to determine the most suitable method for verifying ages.
Touching on the symposium, Fahmi said developments in artificial intelligence (AI) will not be able to fully replace the work of journalists.
“Much of the technology showcased gives an idea of what can be done, but in terms of analysis, AI cannot fully replace journalists or news readers.
“But we expect journalists and news readers will be replaced by those proficient in using AI,” he said.
As such, he said the government has introduced the RM30 million Media Innovation Fund to assist media companies and related organisations to leverage AI in their operations.
Fahmi expressed hope that the fund can be used to strengthen the use of technology without affecting jobs, while also creating opportunities for new revenue models in the media industry.
