Malaysia to Require Age Verification on Social Media Platforms Starting June 1

Malaysia will require social media platforms to implement age verification systems beginning June 1 to prevent users under 16 from accessing services. The rules were approved by the cabinet in November 2025.

Online platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube must adopt age verification measures using government-issued IDs from Malaysia or another jurisdiction. New users will complete verification during sign-up, while existing users will be prompted to confirm they are over 16.

Platforms must block users who fail verification from creating accounts and restrict access for existing users who do not verify. The Malaysian government said the measure is aimed at mitigating child users' exposure to harmful content, unsafe interactions and platform features that may not be suitable for their age.

Several other countries including Indonesia have introduced comparable regulations, while the UK and Spain are considering similar measures. Social media companies will receive a reasonable grace period to implement the verification process, though the government did not specify the exact length of that period.

Platforms are expected to introduce age-appropriate protections and safety-by-design features and to act on reports involving accounts potentially owned by users below 16.