Malaysia has taken a big and strict decision regarding the online safety of children. From June 1, children below 16 years of age will not be able to create new accounts on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. For this, social media companies will have to verify the age of the users. The government says that this step has been taken to protect children from harmful content, cyber bullying and online threats. After this decision, a new debate can start in many countries including India regarding the online safety of children.
New law came for the safety of children
The Malaysian government has implemented new rules under the Online Safety Act, which aim to protect children from the dangers of the internet. According to the new law, children below 16 years of age will not be able to create accounts on social media platforms with more than 80 lakh users in the country. For this, companies will have to check the age of users through identity card, passport or other government documents. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has clearly stated that people under the age of 16 will not be allowed to register social media accounts. Existing users will also have to complete the age verification process within the next six months.
Increased responsibility on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok
Under the new rules, the responsibilities of big platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have also increased. The government has directed companies to take strict action against harmful content, strengthen reporting systems and verify the identity of advertisers. Apart from this, it will also be necessary to clearly label any kind of changed or misleading content. If any platform does not follow these rules, it can be fined up to 10 million Malaysian Ringgit. The government believes that this will help in creating a safe digital environment for children and reduce online risks.
Will such a debate start in India also?
Malaysia is not the only country to take such steps. Australia has already implemented social media restrictions for children under 16 years of age. Indonesia has also implemented strict rules for children on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. Apart from this, France, Spain, Türkiye, Greece, Denmark and Norway are also working on new rules regarding online safety of children. In India too, millions of children use social media daily and concerns about cyber bullying, online fraud and harmful content are continuously increasing. Currently, there is no national level ban in India for children under 16 years of age, but the discussion on this issue is likely to intensify amid increasing regulations around the world.
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