Govt Intensifies Safe Internet Campaign to Enforce Ban on Social Media Accounts for Under-16s

JOHOR BAHRU, Aug 22 — Efforts to raise parental awareness regarding the policy prohibiting social media accounts for children under the age of 16 will be intensified nationwide through the Safe Internet Campaign, announced Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.

Speaking at a press conference during the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Convention for the Safe Internet Campaign at the Sri Tebrau Multipurpose Hall today, Teo emphasized that parental guidance and self-regulation at home are essential to executing the MADANI Government’s digital safety policy.

“This is one of the key messages we want to convey to parents. The current MADANI Government policy is that children aged 16 and below should not have social media accounts. It is not just about prohibiting them, but more importantly, educating and guiding them,” Teo stated. “Parents need to take responsibility for monitoring online activities and ensuring that devices such as mobile phones or tablets provided to their children are not misused.”

Addressing regulatory enforcement, Teo explained that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will take action on verified reports of account misuse involving minors by submitting formal requests to digital platform providers to take down non-compliant accounts.

The Johor event marks the fourth series of the Safe Internet Campaign, focusing on the pivotal role of PTAs in broadening community understanding before the roadshow moves to Sabah in September and Sarawak in October.

Highlighting the campaign’s nationwide footprint, Teo disclosed that the outreach effort has already engaged thousands of educational institutions across Malaysia. This includes 5,946 Sekolah Kebangsaan, 2,416 Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan, 1,285 Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina, and 524 Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil. Beyond primary and secondary schools, the campaign has reached 68 institutions of higher learning, 67 Form Six or vocational colleges, and six teacher education institutes.

Malaysia officially began enforcing mandatory age-verification requirements for social media registration on June 1 under the Child Protection Code and Risk Mitigation Code, implemented by MCMC pursuant to the Online Safety Act 2025. Under these regulatory codes, individuals under 16 are barred from opening social media accounts, while platforms are mandated to verify user identities via official documentation such as MyKad, passport, or MyDigital ID.

–NMT