Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil says the government aims to restrict under-16s from new social media accounts as early as June, with platforms given time to comply.
KUALA LUMPUR: The government is moving to restrict children under the age of 16 from opening new social media accounts, with implementation targeted for as early as the middle of this year.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil stated that social media platforms will be given sufficient time to implement necessary clean-up measures on their respective services.
“We expect it at the end of June, if not earlier than that, and if everything goes smoothly, we may even start earlier,” he said after officiating the launch of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Digital Broadcasting Symposium 2026.
The minister explained that the measures would ensure no more children under 16 register new accounts or maintain existing ones on the platforms.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has previously stated it is examining various methods to verify the ages of internet users before the limit takes effect in the second half of the year.
According to the MCMC, it has already held engagement sessions with major social media service providers like Meta, Google and TikTok to determine the most suitable age verification method.
Separately, Fahmi commented on developments in artificial intelligence, asserting that AI cannot fully replace the work of journalists or news readers.
He said the government has introduced a RM30 million Media Innovation Fund to assist media companies in leveraging AI technology within their operations.
Fahmi expressed hope that the fund would strengthen technological use without affecting jobs while creating opportunities for new revenue models in the media industry.
