THE government is moving to introduce tighter regulation of online platforms to prevent children under 13 years old from accessing them and to ensure that teenagers receive only age-appropriate content, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil confirmed in Parliament.
Fahmi said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is currently developing ten subsidiary regulations under the Online Safety Act 2025 (Act 866), with a strong focus on safeguarding children in the digital environment.
“Under these subsidiary regulations, service providers will be responsible for ensuring their platforms cannot be accessed by users below the age of 13 and must ensure that content displayed to users under the age of 18 is appropriate for their age level,” he said in a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat today.
“In addition, service providers must also provide parental control settings and options in line with their community guidelines or terms of use.”
He was responding to a question from Pang Hok Liong (PH–Labis) on whether the Communications Ministry intends to legislate restrictions preventing those under 16 from using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Fahmi stressed that, to guarantee transparency and accountability, platforms will be required to present an online safety plan demonstrating their compliance with obligations set out under Act 866.
He added that the legislative framework forms part of the government’s ongoing effort to build a safer and more sustainable internet ecosystem, particularly for children, families and vulnerable groups who face heightened risks online.
“Act 866 was enacted to regulate harmful content and to establish obligations for licensed application service providers, content application service providers and network service providers,” he said.
“The Communications Ministry, through MCMC as the industry regulator, is taking a comprehensive approach to controlling harmful online content and protecting vulnerable groups, especially teenagers and children.” - December 4, 2025
