Malaysia and a number of countries want to ban social media use for under-16s in 2026: Here’s what we know so far

Malaysia and a number of countries want to ban social media use for under-16s in 2026: Here’s what we know so far

From December 10, social media platforms will have to deactivate all accounts of Australian users under 16 and prevent them from having an account until after they turn 16. — Unsplash picture

Thursday, 27 Nov 2025 7:00 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 — Malaysia is moving to implement a blanket ban on the use of social media for those under the age of 16, starting 2026.

The tighter regulations were mooted amid the recent spate of crime cases involving Malaysian schools, including the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old girl in Petaling Jaya and several incidents of sexual violence in schools across the country.

Malaysia is expected to closely follow the Australian model, which became the world’s first country to bar those under the age of 16 from having social media accounts last year.

Australia is expected to fully enforce the ban on December 10.


The Malaysian government has not specified the details of the proposed ban.

Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil has floated the possibility of requiring social media platforms to implement electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) verification using government-issued documents like MyKad, passports and the MyDigital ID to authenticate users’ ages.

As Malaysia’s proposed ban takes shape, several countries across the world are mulling similar plans, including France, Denmark and Norway.


Australia

The Australian parliament passed historic legislation last year to ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, Reddit and streaming platforms Kick and Twitch.

From December 10, these platforms will have to deactivate all accounts of Australian users under 16 and prevent them from having an account until after they turn 16.

However, these children will still be allowed to use YouTube Kids, Google Classroom and WhatsApp and view most content on YouTube that does not require an account.

The law will not punish children or their parents for violations but would instead subject the social media platform involved to fines of up to US$33 million (RM136 million) for serious or recurring breaches.

Those under 16 with a social media account currently can opt to either download all their photos and messages, and put their accounts on hold until they turn 16, or simply delete their accounts.

Social media companies are introducing various age-verification measures.

Meta — which owns and operates Facebook, Instagram and Threads — will start removing accounts of those under 16 from December 4. Nevertheless, it will allow those wrongly flagged as under-16 to authenticate their age using a government ID or through a video selfie.

Meanwhile, Snapchat will allow users to verify their age using bank accounts or government-issued documents such as passports or driver’s licences, or by a selfie that will be used for facial age estimation.

France

French President Emmanuel Macron is spearheading efforts to introduce a region-wide social media ban for users under 15 in the European Union (EU).

Earlier in June, Macron stressed that France will go ahead with the proposed ban if the measure is not endorsed at the EU-level “within a few months”.

France adopted a law in 2023 requiring parental consent for individuals under 15 to access social media, but a fatal stabbing incident of a school staff member by a 14-year-old student in eastern France sparked calls for tougher measures.

A French parliamentary commission even called for an “overnight digital curfew” from 10pm to 8am for those aged between 15 and 18 in addition to completely banning those under-15 from social media.

The recommendation came after a six-month inquiry concluded that TikTok allegedly exposes children to “toxic, dangerous and addictive content” — which TikTok categorically denies.

Five European countries — France, Denmark, Greece, Italy and Spain — have also started a joint testing of an age-verification software, slated for rollout across the EU in 2026.

Denmark

In November, the Danish government announced plans to ban social media access for children under 15.

However, it said some parents will be allowed to grant social media access for their children from the age of 13 after a specific assessment.

The nature of the assessment or how and when the ban will be enforced remains unclear for now.

Norway

Norway is also expected to raise the minimum age threshold for social media use from 13 to 15 by amending the country’s Personal Data Act.

There are also plans to introduce age-verification for social media users, with the possibility of using bank verification ID to authenticate a user’s age.

However, the discussions are still in the preliminary stage.

Limits of a ban

While an age-specific ban on social media use is a drastic move, critics warn that it could also lead to infringement of privacy and free speech.

Some detractors also say that this could fuel rebellious behaviour and drive the problem underground, especially to create fake accounts and log in through VPNs to bypass the ban.