Let’s get into the wood. Malaysia has introduced a new law banning the use of social media by children under the age of 16. Under the new rules, which came into effect on Monday, children under the age of 16 will not be allowed to open or operate personal accounts on social networks.

Under the new system, social media companies will have to mandatorily verify the age of the user. In addition, it will be the responsibility of the companies concerned to prevent children under the age of 16 from registering accounts and to identify and prevent such accounts.

This rule applies to major social networks with millions of users, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. Companies that do not comply with the rules can be fined up to 10 million Malaysian ringgit.

The Malaysian government said the move was aimed at protecting children from harmful content online, cyberbullying, bullying and excessive use of social media. According to the government, stricter regulation is necessary because of the increasing risks posed to children by digital means in recent years.

However, no legal action will be taken against the parents if the children open the account by evading the rules by taking various measures. The government’s focus is mainly on holding social media companies accountable.

Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission said the policy was not aimed at keeping children off the internet, but to create a safe, age-appropriate digital environment for them.

Malaysia has become one of the few countries in the world to take such a step. Australia, Brazil and Indonesia have already enacted stricter rules on children’s social media access, while the UK, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are among the countries that have enacted similar policies.