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On Monday, Malaysia took a significant step by enacting a new law. Under this legislation, children under the age of 16 will no longer be able to create their own social media accounts. This decision was taken to protect children from social media addiction and the rising instances of cyberbullying.

This rule will apply to all social media platforms that have more than 8 million users in Malaysia. These include major names such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. All these companies have received a government directive to implement an "age-verification system" on their platforms. This will ensure that no child under the age of 16 can create an account.

**Meta Expresses Opposition**
Amidst the social media restrictions in Malaysia, Meta—the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—presented its arguments. The company contends that banning children under the age of 16 could drive them toward platforms where no regulations apply. In the realm of technology, such spaces are often referred to as the "Deep Web" or "Dark Web"—parts of the internet considered to be dangerous and unregulated.

Meta states that it has already implemented a specialized account type for users under the age of 18. This includes specific rules regarding usage limits, contact capabilities, and restrictions on inappropriate content. Additionally, some experts have raised concerns regarding user privacy. They argue that for age verification, users would be required to submit government-issued documents directly to tech media companies, thereby potentially compromising their privacy.

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