PARENTS are still allowed to manage the social media accounts of children aged 16 and below with full supervision, following the enforcement of the implementation of the minimum age limit for the use of online applications.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the measure is important to ensure that children do not manage their own social media accounts, thus avoiding exposure to unwanted threats.
"There are parents who open and manage their children's accounts, including for digital content such as influencers or content creators.
"If parents open accounts for their children, then the supervision of the account is with the parents.
"We don't know who they are talking to, who is direct messaging them, what will happen to the data information if irresponsible parties are communicating with these children," he said during a press conference after launching the Safer Internet Day 2026 celebration organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Previously, Deputy Minister of Communications, Teo Nie Ching, was reported to have said that the implementation is currently in the regulatory sandbox phase to allow the government to test the best methods before full implementation is made.
According to her, the measure is in line with the Online Safety Act (OnSA) and discussions with social media platform providers have begun to identify the most effective approach.
Meanwhile, Fahmi also reminded parents to always protect family personal information, including home addresses and other sensitive details, from being shared openly on the internet.
According to him, the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology can also be misused to edit children's photos or videos for bad purposes.
“It's not a problem if parents handle it, but you must always be vigilant. Our message is to use the internet safely," he said. – February 8, 2026
