Malaysia has announced plans to bar users under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms starting in 2026, joining a growing number of countries tightening digital restrictions to safeguard children from online harms.

The decision comes amid rising global concern over the impact of social media on young users’ mental health, privacy, and safety.

According to a Reuters report, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government was studying age-restriction mechanisms adopted in Australia and other nations as it works to formulate its own framework. He emphasised that the move aims to shield young Malaysians from cyberbullying, online scams, predatory behaviour, and other risks associated with unregulated digital access.

“We hope by next year that social media platforms will comply with the government’s decision to bar those under the age of 16 from opening user accounts,” Fahmi told reporters, in remarks shared online by local daily ‘The Star’.

He noted that the review mirrors similar international efforts to curb underage exposure to digital platforms and ensure tech companies take greater responsibility for user safety.

Globally, concerns over the influence of social media on children have intensified, with companies including TikTok, Snapchat, Google and Meta—operator of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp—facing lawsuits in the United States over their alleged role in contributing to a youth mental health crisis. Australia is moving ahead with its own sweeping ban, set to take effect next month, requiring platforms to deactivate accounts belonging to users under 16. The policy is closely watched by regulators worldwide seeking stronger child-safety safeguards.

Several European nations, including France, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Greece, are jointly testing an age-verification app that could serve as a model for implementation across the continent. Closer to home, Indonesia earlier announced plans to introduce a minimum age requirement for social media use, though it later opted for less stringent measures that require platforms to improve age checks and restrict harmful content.

Malaysia itself has tightened its scrutiny of tech companies in recent years, citing concerns over rising harmful content such as online gambling and sensitive posts related to race, religion and the monarchy. Under new regulations implemented in January, platforms and messaging services with more than eight million users in the country must now obtain a licence to operate, further tightening the government’s oversight of the digital ecosystem.

With its latest move, Malaysia appears set to take one of its strongest steps yet in regulating online spaces for young users, signalling a broader global shift toward stricter digital-age protections for children.