Malaysia ‘ s social media ban on minors under 16 confirmed that it would enter into force on 1 June and that operators of affected social platforms would have a transitional period to adapt to the new regulations.
The ban was adopted by the Government of Malaysia in November 2025, while Australia ‘ s juvenile social media ban came into effect at the end of December of the same year. In addition to Malaysia, several other countries, including Indonesia, have followed Australia ‘ s example by introducing a ban on social media for children. Similar prohibitions are being considered in countries such as the United Kingdom and Spain.
Under Malaysia ‘ s new regulations, children under 16 would not be allowed to register social media accounts. Applications and websites such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube will be mandatory for age validation. New users must be certified at the time of registration and older users will be required to verify that they have reached the age of 16. The Malaysian authorities stated: “This is intended to reduce the exposure of underage users to harmful content, unsafe interactions and functions that may not be appropriate for their age”.
The new regulations are results-oriented and online platforms are free to choose age validation techniques. This is provided that measures relying on identification certificates issued by the Government of Malaysia or identity documents issued by “competent authorities in other jurisdictions” must be implemented. Websites and applications must prevent uncertified users from creating accounts and limit their access to existing users.
In addition to age verification, social platforms must be equipped with “clear and easy-to-use reporting systems in order to deal in a timely manner with the harmful content of minors”. The Platform also needs to introduce “age-appropriate protective measures and safety-based design functions” and take action on account reports that may be owned by persons under the age of 16.
As 1 June approached, Malaysia granted social media companies a grace period to implement the age validation process. The Government of Malaysia did not disclose a specific grace period but merely indicated that it would be “reasonable” and would inform social media providers of the relevant deadlines.
