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STUDENT activist Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam has questioned the government’s proposal to ban social media for those aged 16 and below, calling it a “policy paradox” that conflicts with Malaysia’s push to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) education in schools.
For Ain, the contradiction is glaring. On one hand, the government wants to prepare students for a digital future by integrating AI modules into the national syllabus. On the other, it is considering cutting off their access to the very platforms that shape digital literacy, information consumption and real-world online behaviour.
“You want to teach children about AI but at the same time, you want to ban them from using social media and platforms like Instagram and TikTok. It doesn’t make sense,” she said during Sinar Daily’s recent Top News Podcast.
Ain, who rose to prominence at the age of 17 after speaking out against rape jokes and the culture of silence in schools, credits social media for sharpening her awareness and empowering her activism. She believes many young people share this sentiment.
“The reason I became so well-informed was because of social media. It’s not just a bad thing. It can be a very good thing.
“A lot of people have had a net positive experience online. The problem isn’t the platforms themselves. It’s our behaviour towards them and how we teach young people to use them,” she said.
She argues banning social media outright ignores a more fundamental issue: the values, discipline and moral grounding children receive long before they log on. Instead of restriction, she believes Malaysia should focus on digital behaviour, ethics and responsible engagement. She compares social media to a tool, neutral in nature but shaped by how it is used.
“In a culinary class, someone can misuse a knife. But do you take the knife away or do you teach students how to use it properly?” she asked.
The same logic applies to social media. “You don’t fix the root problem by removing the tool,” she said, adding that children today, like generations before them, are exposed to a wide spectrum of content, from entertainment to violence. Their reactions depend heavily on the principles instilled in them at home and school.
Ain said that everyone encounters violent content at some point, but those with empathy respond with sadness or concern and not an urge to act violently.
She said the ban would only create a false sense of safety, while depriving children of the digital exposure needed to navigate modern society. She points out that previous generations, including those like her who grew up with television rather than smartphones, learned morality and awareness because they were taught how to interpret what they saw, not because they were shielded from it.
“Yes, social media influences how we view things but it is an amplifier, not a decider. The values you hold don’t come from Instagram or TikTok. They come from what you were taught long before you opened the app,” she said.
On Dec 4, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Malaysia was set to bar children under 16 from accessing social media and introduce stricter content controls for teenagers under 18 under new regulations being drafted as part of the Online Safety Act 2025 (Act 866).
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is developing 10 subsidiary laws aimed at strengthening online protection for minors and ensuring that young users are exposed only to age-appropriate content. These measures form part of a wider push to safeguard children in an increasingly complex digital environment.
Under the proposed regulations, social media platforms will be required to block access for users below 16 and ensure content served to those under 18 aligns with their age group. Providers must also offer effective parental control tools and prepare an online safety plan demonstrating compliance with the Act.
Last month, Fahmi said the Cabinet had approved the measure to curb cross-generational cybercrime and protect minors from online sexual predators.