From Monday, Malaysia will ban social media for children under 16. The measure applies to all platforms with more than 8 million users, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. They now have to introduce age verification. The ban is part of a global trend to take online safety measures for young users.
Source: NBC News
Users under the age of 16 have one month to download their data before their accounts are deleted, the Malaysian Communications Commission said. For existing users, age verification will be rolled out over the next six months.
Tech companies have yet to announce how they will implement the measures. Companies that refuse to implement the measure risk fines of up to 10 million ringgit (The official currency of Malaysia, ed.), equivalent to more than 2.1 million euros. Parents whose children break the law will not be punished.
Minors do not have the mental capacity to handle social media
With this measure, the government wants to protect children against harmful content, cyberbullying and doomscrolling. According to the government, the intention is not to keep children away from digital technology.
Clara Koh, Meta’s director of public policy for Southeast Asia, warned in April that such a ban could be counterproductive. Teenagers would thus be sent from ‘protected’ apps to ‘uncontrolled corners of the internet’.
Divided reactions
Parents in Malaysia also react dividedly to the new rules. For example, Saravanan Ganasan and Jayaradha Veerasamy, parents of two children aged 12 and 15, think it is a good idea. They believe that minors do not have the mental capacity to deal with the platforms. “We are afraid of wrong exposure,” they say. “That damages the brain.”
Shaun Hew, father of two children aged 11 and 14, believes that the measure goes too far. He thinks social media can be useful, as long as parents supervise. His 11-year-old son uses the platforms to learn to cook, his 14-year-old daughter uses YouTube to repeat learning material. He fears that an immediate lockdown will make teenagers rebel and look for alternatives.
Europe is also looking at the possibilities of setting a minimum age on social media. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, announced in mid-May that a bill may be introduced to limit minors’ access to social media. According to her, there are already at least ten Member States that are examining options at national level. It is not yet known what age the lower limit will be because opinions differ between Member States.
