Malaysia's Under-16 Social Media Ban Stalls 2 Months After June 1 Launch
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 10
Malaysia's Under-16 Social Media Ban Stalls 2 Months After June 1 Launch
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 10
Summary
Two months after Malaysia began barring under-16s from social media on June 1, children are still using TikTok and other major platforms with little visible change.
8 million users is the threshold for the ban, covering TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, but the required age-verification systems have not been put in place.
Government officials had said enforcement would be smoother by using national identity documents, then indicated platforms were reluctant to store government data for verification.
Parents who hoped the rule would cut screen time say the delay has left children watching TikTok for hours, underscoring how hard social media bans are to enforce.