The government will not set an age limit for children to use social media, according to communications minister Fahmi Fadzil. “At present, we do not intend to follow exactly what other countries are doing,” said the minister, referring to Australia’s new legislation banning those under 16 from using social media.
Fahmi explained that instead, the Malaysia will “strike a balance by considering the socio-cultural background and the existing legal and regulatory landscape in our country.” Last month, deputy communications minister Teo Nie Ching revealed that the government is currently reviewing Australia’s law, as well as France’s legislation that requires parental consent for those under 15 to use social media.
This is quite a u-turn from the minister’s previous stance, where he called on social media operators to strictly enforce age limit guidelines. At the time, Fahmi also stated that his ministry would hold a discussion with platforms that fail to impose age restrictions.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) recently published an updated draft of the Code of Conduct (Best Practice) for Internet Messaging and Social Media Service Providers. While it has not been finalised yet, the draft, in its current form, requires operators to implement effective age verification methods as a child safety measure.
(Source: Bernama)
