Malaysia may ban users under 16 from social media starting next year

In Brief

As Australia’s prohibition connected societal media usage for users nether 16 looms, it appears Malaysia present plans to instrumentality a akin strategy starting adjacent year.

The country’s communications minister, Fahmi Fadzil, reportedly said the medication is considering systems for implementing property restrictions connected societal media platforms, barring users nether 16 years aged from platforms similar Facebook, Instagram, and X, Reuters reported.

“We anticipation by adjacent twelvemonth that societal media platforms volition comply with the government’s determination to barroom those nether the property of 16 from opening idiosyncratic accounts,” the study quoted Fadzil arsenic saying.

Malaysia would articulation a increasing database of countries that are implementing property restrictions oregon verification measures to support children from the risks associated with societal media usage. Australia has already passed a law that volition travel into unit connected December 10, mandating societal media sites to deactivate accounts belonging to users nether 16.

France, Denmark, Italy, and Norway are moving connected akin age-restriction measures for societal media platforms, and successful the U.S., 24 states person truthful acold enacted age-verification laws. Utah became the archetypal U.S. state to necessitate app stores to verify users’ ages and get parental consent for minors downloading apps.

The U.K.’s Online Safety Act besides came into effect successful July, mandating societal media and different online platforms to artifact children’s entree to harmful contented oregon look immense fines. The U.K. requires beardown property checks for high-risk content, similar self-harm and eating upset content, to support users nether 18.

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