Malaysia bars under-16s from social media as new rules come into force

Malaysia began enforcing age verification requirements for social media platforms on Monday, barring children under 16 from opening new accounts and requiring all existing users to confirm their identities using official government documents.The measures come into force under the Online Safety Act 2025 and are being implemented by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) through two complementary frameworks: the Child Protection Code, which obliges platform providers to adopt a safety-by-design approach, and the Risk Mitigation Code, which mandates risk assessments, content governance and a content labelling mechanism.New and existing users must now verify their age using recognised identification – including Malaysia’s national identity card, the MyKad, a passport or the government’s MyDigital ID system. Platforms must also reconfigure their algorithms and content recommendation systems to reduce users’ exposure to harmful material. Paid advertising will be restricted to verified account holders.Two boys play with their mobile phones on board a catamaran yacht in Langkawi, Malaysia. Photo: AFPPlatforms that fail to meet the Risk Mitigation Code’s requirements face fines of up to 10 million ringgit (US$2.5 million). The MCMC said an implementation grace period would be granted to service providers to come into compliance.