Malaysia: Malaysia's move to restrict social media access for those under the age of 16 reflects a broader global shift towards holding platforms accountable for their system design, rather than relying solely on users to manage online risks.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, cybersecurity expert M. Selvakumar of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) said that by the time educational campaigns address emerging harms such as cyberbullying or sophisticated grooming, platform algorithms may have already amplified these dangers at scale. Selvakumar noted that the failure of reactive education has driven a global policy reset, shifting the burden of responsibility from users directly to technology companies. He emphasized that instead of teaching children how to survive a hostile digital environment, governments are finally regulating the environment itself through mandatory 'safety by design'.
Selvakumar pointed to Australia as the turning point, after it passed legislation to introduce a nationwide under-16 social media rule effective December 2025. Under the Australian 'delay, not ban' model, accounts are placed in quarantine until users reach the age threshold, rather than being deleted entirely. He said that Australia's move provides a workable template that other nations, including Malaysia, could quickly adopt. Once one major democracy took the plunge and absorbed the initial pushback from tech lobbyists, it provided political cover for other nations to follow suit without appearing as global outliers.
He added that governments have lost patience with voluntary action by platforms, concluding that companies whose business models rely on harvesting attention would never voluntarily restrict their user base without the threat of massive financial penalties.
Meanwhile, Protect and Save the Children executive director Amnani A. Kadir noted that governments are acting in quick succession because the risks to minors are now widely recognised as a global public health problem. She highlighted rising anxiety, depression, bullying, and online exploitation as key issues, emphasizing the need for stronger support and accountability for both platforms and parents.
Amnani stressed that policies must be grounded in the principle of acting in the 'best interests of the child,' prioritising safety and development over convenience or profit. She argued that children cannot be expected to manage complex digital environments designed specifically to influence human behaviour. Amnani added that platforms have not done enough to prevent harm and have been hiding data on harm to children for years. She likened giving children unrestricted access without supervision to letting them drive without training.
Amnani further noted that Malaysia's move was part of a wider child-protection effort, citing that around one in three youths show signs of addictive social media use. The intervention has become necessary as mental health issues and online exploitation continue to rise alongside the digital landscape's expansion. The government's plan to enforce a minimum age of 16 for social media use is set to take effect in the second half of this year.