The government will hold discussions with major social media companies in Singapore next week to explore implementing a higher age limit for platform users, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil announced yesterday. The talks will focus on developing a regulatory and technical framework to raise the minimum age for social media use from 13 to 16 years, aligning Malaysia with countries such as Australia and Indonesia.
Fahmi said the meeting would address how such a policy could be enforced effectively, including the potential use of official identification such as MyKad, passport, or MyDigital ID for age verification. “The meeting will look into how this policy can be enforced effectively,” he said during a press conference following the weekly Cabinet meeting.
He explained that the Cabinet had previously agreed to set the minimum age at 13, but the government is now considering raising it to 16 as part of efforts to enhance online safety for minors. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will lead the delegation, accompanied by representatives from the police’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department, the Criminal Investigation Department, the National Anti-Financial Crime Centre (NFCC), and the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC).
Fahmi added that the delegation would also discuss enforcement measures against social media and e-commerce platforms that allow the sale of prohibited or dangerous items such as weapons. He noted that several ministries and agencies, including the Home Ministry, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry and the Health Ministry, are already taking continuous action through MCMC to curb advertisements involving banned products online.
“I have also directed MCMC to review the need for further action in cases where e-commerce companies or platforms fail to provide adequate cooperation,” he said. Fahmi clarified that next week’s meeting was not called in response to recent incidents in schools, but was instead a continuation of ongoing engagement sessions between the government and platform operators over the past few weeks.
When asked whether the government plans to penalise parents who fail to supervise their children’s social media activity, Fahmi said the matter was not raised during the Cabinet meeting. Instead, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri will review the issue further, including the role of parents in ensuring safer digital environments for children.
Meanwhile, the government has also proposed imposing a blanket ban on smartphone use for students under the age of 16, citing concerns over the rising influence of social media and online games in triggering negative behavior and incidents within schools. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim emphasised that the proposal, discussed during a Cabinet meeting, aims to combine stricter device restrictions with increased security oversight in schools and greater involvement by parents and Parent-Teacher Associations (PIBGs) in guiding students’ conduct and ethical engagement online.
(Source: NST)
