Parents were reminded by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to ensure that their children under 13 do not possess any social media accounts.
Bernama reports that according to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, the commission determined that it was inappropriate for children under 13 to use social media.
He emphasised that if such cases arise, parents should promptly inform the MCMC, and appropriate action will be taken to deactivate the account.
Fahmi noted that most social media platforms prohibit individuals of this age group from creating accounts.
However, he pointed out that account registration on social media platforms currently relies solely on users without any means of verifying their age to meet the necessary requirements.
Consequently, his ministry has engaged in a series of discussions with relevant stakeholders, including Meta (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) and Telegram, to present strategies aimed at addressing the issue of underage ownership of social media accounts.
He mentioned that they have examined various aspects from the perspective of social media platforms, which they should communicate to them in advance.
He expressed optimism that discussions with these platforms, particularly concerning online safety for children, would lead to announcements by early May.
