Like many other countries around the world, Malaysia has now had enough of social media and its negative impact on children, and is introducing a blanket ban to prevent people under the age of 16 from using or creating accounts on these platforms.
The new rules are justified by the need to protect young people from bullying and reduce their exposure to so-called harmful or misleading content. The platforms covered by the ban include Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where the companies that own these services must implement age verification systems.
Companies that do not comply with the new rules risk fines of up to 10 million Malaysian ringgit. The country thus joins a growing group of nations seeking to limit children's access to social media while increasing their safety online.