Malaysia weighs social media restrictions for children under 16, follows global trends

KUALA LUMPUR - The Ministry of Communications is currently reviewing the recent social media ban for minors under 16 in Australia and legislation requiring parental consent for children under 15 in France, for consideration of similar laws in Malaysia.

“At this stage, we are assessing how Australia and France intend to enforce such laws because the first issue arises when parents provide their children with phones. How do we ensure that children under the ages of 13 or 16 do not download social media apps onto their phones?,” said Deputy Minister of Communications Teo Nie Ching.

“So, who will be responsible for monitoring this? If someone violates the law by downloading social media apps, who do we penalise—the parents, the children, or the platform providers?

“There are indeed many practical issues that need thorough evaluation before any decision is made,” she explained during a question and answer session in the Dewan Negara today.

She was responding to an additional question from Senator Manolan Mohamad on whether the government plans to emulate Australia’s banning of social media use for children under 16, set to be enforced by the end of 2025.

She added that the Ministry of Communications actively collaborates with various agencies and ministries, including the Ministry of Education, through initiatives like the “Klik Dengan Bijak” programme, to educate young people on becoming responsible internet users while promoting safe online practices.

“Recent reports show that half of those aged 13 to 17 spend an average of three hours daily on their phones. This is a phenomenon that requires serious attention and the cooperation of all parties.

“Teachers have their roles, and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has its responsibilities. Most importantly, parents play a very significant role,” she emphasised.

In response to Senator Manolan’s initial question about the minimum age for registering social media accounts, she said the Community Guidelines of most social media platform operators set it at 13 years of age.

She highlighted that to strengthen regulatory and enforcement efforts against the growing prevalence of harmful online activities, the MCMC has mandated that social media and internet messaging service providers obtain an Application Service Provision Class License under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588).

This requirement will come into effect on Jan 1 next year. - BERNAMA