THE government is preparing to enforce a minimum age of 16 for social media usage starting July 2026, a move aimed at protecting children and teenagers from online exploitation and exposure to inappropriate content.
The measure is currently in a regulatory sandbox phase, allowing authorities to trial the most effective approaches before full implementation.
“Under the Online Safety Act (OnSA), we have begun discussions with platform providers. At the moment, we are in the regulatory sandbox stage to find the best, most effective and safe way to verify age limits,” Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said.
She added that discussions and planning with social media platforms are ongoing, with a target for rollout in the third or fourth quarter of this year, in line with earlier announcements by Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
The government aims for all social media platforms to implement digital identity verification, or eKYC, by the end of the second quarter of 2026 to enforce the age restriction for new account registrations.
Speaking at a media briefing during the Back-to-School Aid (Bantuan Awal Persekolahan, BAP) distribution at Sekolah Kebangsaan Putra Utama in Kulai on Monday, Nie Ching also highlighted government support measures for schoolchildren.
She stated that the Ministry of Education has allocated RM800 million this year to assist around 5.2 million students from Year One to Form Six nationwide.
“In Johor, 586,153 students will benefit from a total allocation of RM87.9 million. In Kulai alone, 58,264 students are set to receive aid amounting to RM8.7 million. Today, we visited SK Putra Utama to symbolically hand over support to selected parents,” she said.
Nie Ching, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kulai, emphasised that these efforts, combining child protection online with educational support, demonstrate the government’s commitment to child welfare and digital safety.
Addressing concerns over cyberbullying, Nie Ching confirmed that the ministry has not received any formal complaints relating to the national mixed doubles badminton player Toh Ee Wei.
“So far, I have not received any complaints and I have yet to obtain confirmation from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on whether they have received any reports,” she said.
The minister was commenting in response to Ee Wei’s public remarks expressing hurt over abusive comments directed at her and her parents following inconsistent performances alongside partner Chen Tang Jie.
The cyberbullying issue has raised concern among sports fans, prompting calls for protective measures to safeguard the mental wellbeing of national athletes.
Ee Wei and Tang Jie, currently ranked fourth in the world, appeared to respond to criticism by defeating the world’s tenth-ranked Danish pair, Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje, 15-21, 21-17, 21-11, in the Indonesia Masters final last Sunday.
Nie Ching urged all internet users to exercise rationality and civility, particularly when voicing opinions or criticism online.
“The problem with some netizens is that in real-life discussions, they would not use such words or conduct themselves in this way, but online they feel the space is unrestricted and they are free to say anything.
“Be a good internet user. If you would not say it face-to-face, do not say it on social media,” she said.
She also called on Malaysians to offer unwavering support to national athletes, especially during periods of pressure or inconsistent performance.
“We must remember they are still fighting for the country. Yesterday (Sunday), they brought home a victory (at the Indonesia Masters) for Malaysia. The most important thing is that we continue to give strong and positive support to our athletes,” Nie Ching added. - January 26, 2026
