Malaysia Joins Australia in Banning Social Media for Kids Under 16

Malaysia will ban people 16 years and younger from using social media in 2026, following a similar move by Australia a year ago.

The announcement was made on Sunday, Nov. 23, by Fahmi Fadzil, Malaysia’s communications minister, as part of an effort to protect kids from online harm such as cyberbullying and sexual abuse, according to The New York Times, the Associated Press, Reuters and Malaysian newspaper The Star.

“I believe that if the government, regulatory bodies, and parents all play their roles, we can ensure that the Internet in Malaysia is not only fast, widespread and affordable but most importantly, safe, especially for children and families,” Fadzil said, the AP reported.

He also said that digital platforms are slated to institute customer identity verification by next year.

“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,” Fadzil said, according to Reuters and The Star.

The minister also said that his government is monitoring Australia’s implementation of a similar age limit for social media users starting this December. 

“Other countries may have their own approaches, and we will study them,” he said per The Star.

Malaysia has 8 million people who are under the age of 16, according to Times. In September, Anwar Ibrahim, the country’s prime minister, alleged that social media was a factor in the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old female by a 14-year-old male student.

A separate government regulation went into effect earlier this year requiring platforms and messaging services with more than 8 million users in Malaysia to obtain a license, per Reuters. 

PEOPLE contacted Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications on Monday, Nov. 24, about the new policy but did not immediately receive a response.

In November 2024, Australia passed a social media ban for kids under 16 that also increased some privacy provisions, including around data collection.

“This is a landmark reform,” Prime Minister AnthonyAlbanese said in a statement at the time. “We know some kids will find workarounds, but we’re sending a message to social media companies to clean up their act.”

Australia’s social media ban goes into effect on Dec. 10, The Guardian reported.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Under the law, platforms that the government included in its ban list are required to deactivate the accounts of users under 16 and prevent them from having an account until they turn 16. Platforms that violate the minimum age requirement can face penalties up to $49.5 million. 

Those included on the government’s list of banned platforms for those under the age of 16 are Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch and Kick, according to The Guardian.

Such bans have been criticized by some advocates of digital media for limiting young people’s autonomy in a world increasingly dominated by digital platforms, where social media plays a key role in community; others say the legislation will be hard to accurately and widely enforce.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has said that a “better approach” would rely on companies like Google and Apple that distribute the social media apps and restrict use by ages there.

“We believe a better approach is required: a standard, more accurate, and privacy-preserving system, such as OS/app store-level age verification,” Meta executive Antigone Davis said last month, according to the AP.

Acording to the Australia’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts, “There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that by 16, young Australians are beyond the most vulnerable stage of adolescence.”