PETALING JAYA: While no specific laws or regulations restrict children under 13 years old from accessing social media platforms, Malaysia has legislation that deals with child protection issues, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.
“The Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) also regulates the industry and has introduced the Klik Dengan Bijak programme to educate and raise awareness about safe and positive internet usage.
“There are also provisions in the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia’s (CMCF) Content Code, which advise suitable content targeted at children,” she told theSun when commenting on the April 22 MCMC statement reminding parents to ensure children aged 13 and below do not own social media accounts.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil had earlier stated that the age limit was imposed because MCMC determined that it was not appropriate for children of that age and younger to use social media.
“Should there be such a case of children under 13 having social media accounts, parents please inform me or the MCMC. We will shut down the account,” he said.
Teo said the ministry has taken proactive steps by encouraging social media platforms to improve their filtering systems to prevent children from creating accounts.
“Additionally, we have advocated for improvements in algorithms to better identify underage users and strengthen efforts to remove them.
“The ministry is also actively collaborating with TikTok and Meta to enhance safety features and ensure age-appropriate content for young users.”
She said the ministry is always open to working with other social media platforms to establish a safe online environment for everyone.
Teo added that it has collaborated with the MCMC to organise educational campaigns, workshops and outreach programmes to raise awareness among parents and provide them with practical guidance to manage their children’s online activities.
However, rawSEC – Malaysia CyberSecurity Community public communication secretariat staff Emma Rahim said while setting a minimum age limit of 13 for social media use is reasonable, a law has to be enacted to ensure it is enforced.
rawSEC is a non-profit community effort to provide a strong platform for local information security talents.
Emma said the government should protect the youngest and most vulnerable members of society by taking proactive steps to enhance the laws and tools parents need to safeguard children in the digital age.
“While there are no specific laws regarding the minimum age for social media usage, even the existing guidelines from the CMCF are insufficient to restrict or prohibit those under 13 from using it.”
Emma said as technology continues to advance rapidly, the online threats and vulnerabilities that children face are also evolving.
“Children are increasingly at risk in digital environments. Setting a minimum age for social media use is reasonable due to the risk of addiction, depression and lower self-confidence among young users.
“Efforts to enhance laws should be accompanied by initiatives to raise awareness among parents, educators and children about safe and responsible internet usage.”
Emma said despite the prevalence of gadget use in recent years, active monitoring of social media usage is critical to achieving the objectives.
She said while most social media platforms set a minimum age limit of 13 for users, parents can vary the settings to monitor their children’s digital activities.
“Parents can restrict the download of apps by applying minimum age limits. The risks of sexual predators targeting children, social entrapment and child trafficking are real.
“All of these can happen if parents do not monitor or enforce restrictions on children’s access to social media.”
