Malaysia enforces ban on social media for children

Children under 16 in Malaysia have been banned from having social media accounts. (AAP PHOTOS)

Malaysia has begun enforcing rules barring millions of children younger than 16 from social media, joining a global effort to tighten online safety protections for young users.

The rules require social media platforms to implement age-verification systems and block users under 16 from creating accounts. They apply to platforms with at least eight million users, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.