Malaysia Bans Social Media For Kids Below 16: Will India Take On Big Tech Too?

Malaysia has become the latest country to take a tough stand against Big Tech companies over children's online safety. From June 1, children below the age of 16 will no longer be allowed to sign up for social media accounts on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, AFP reported. The new rules are part of Malaysia's Online Safety Act and apply to social media platforms with more than eight million users in the country. Under the law, companies must verify users' ages using government-issued documents like identity cards or passports before allowing them to create accounts.According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), "users below the age of 16 are not permitted to register for social media accounts."Social

media companies have been given some time to implement the new measures. Existing users will also have to go through age verification over the next six months.The Malaysian government says the move is aimed at making the internet safer for children. The rules also require platforms to take stronger action against harmful content. Companies must improve reporting systems, verify advertisers and label manipulated content when needed.Platforms that fail to follow the rules could face fines of up to 10 million Malaysian ringgit (around USD 2.5 million).Malaysia is not alone in taking such steps. Australia became the first country to introduce similar restrictions for children under 16. Indonesia has also enforced a social media ban for under-16 users on platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. Countries such as Turkey, France, Spain, Greece, Denmark and Norway are also moving towards tighter rules.The move is likely to spark fresh debate in India as well. Millions of children in or country use social media every day, while concerns around cyberbullying, online scams and harmful content continue to grow.While India has introduced several digital safety rules in recent years, there is currently no nationwide ban on social media use for children below 16. As more countries tighten regulations on Big Tech platforms, the debate around child safety online is likely to gain momentum in India as well.