Digital platform operators in Malaysia are allowed to delete social media accounts belonging to children aged 16 and below under the Online Safety Act 2025, according to the government.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri said the law places direct responsibility on digital platforms to protect minors, including enforcing age restrictions and monitoring accounts that do not comply.
She said this responsibility includes taking action against accounts held by underage users, confirming that platforms are empowered under the act to remove such accounts if they breach age requirements. The law came into force on 1 January.
According to the minister, Malaysia can no longer ignore the risks faced by children online, particularly as social media use among minors continues to grow. She said digital platform operators have already engaged with relevant ministries to clarify how their obligations under the law should be implemented.
The new act shifts accountability away from individual users and places it squarely on licensed service providers, meaning enforcement is aimed at platform operators rather than parents or children themselves.
Separately, Nancy said parents and the wider community still play an important role in making the law effective, stressing that legal enforcement alone is not sufficient to ensure children’s online safety.
The Online Safety Act applies to service providers licensed under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. Individual users are not subject to penalties under this law.
