00:01Malaysia's move to restrict social media access for those under the age of 16 reflects the broader global shift,
00:08away from relying on parents and users to manage online risks,
00:12and towards holding platforms accountable for how their systems are designed.
00:17Cyber security expert Em Selvakumar of University Science Malaysia
00:21warned that by the time educational campaigns address emerging harms,
00:26such as cyber bullying, sophisticated grooming tactics or viral self-harm trends,
00:31platform algorithms may already have amplified these dangers at scale.
00:36He told FMT that relying on user awareness nearly manages to fall out rather than preventing harm in the first
00:43place.
00:44Selvakumar said this failure had driven a global policy reset,
00:49shifting responsibility away from users and onto technology companies.
00:54Amnani Ekade, Executive Director of Protect and Save the Children agreed,
00:59noting that governments were acting in quick succession
01:02because the risks are now widely recognised and shared across countries.
01:07She told FMT that there has been a rise in anxiety, depression, bullying and online exploitation across borders,
01:15alongside growing awareness that both platforms and parents need stronger support and accountability.
01:21Amnani added that it has become a global public health problem,
01:26with much research conducted on the negative impact of these platforms on developing young braids.
01:32The shift gained momentum after Australia became the first country to introduce a nationwide under-16 social media rule
01:40in December 2025 with its delay-not-banned model,
01:44placing accounts in quarantine until users reach the age threshold rather than deleting them altogether.
01:51Countries such as France and Spain have explored similar age thresholds,
01:56while parts of Southeast Asia are also beginning to move in the same direction with a delayed access approach.
02:02I'm Incharia, FMT.
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