Malaysia has started blocking anyone under the age of 16 from signing up for social media platforms, the country’s communications regulator confirmed on Monday, according to a recent report by Reuters.

The new rules, which took effect immediately, require platforms including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, and Google’s YouTube to verify a user’s age against government-issued identification records. Companies that fail to comply face fines of up to 10 million ringgit, equivalent to roughly 2.5 million US dollars.

Existing accounts held by underage users will not be removed straight away. Instead, the regulator, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, has given social media firms a six-month window to roll out age verification for those already using their services.

The commission said the policy was not designed to cut young people off from the internet or deny them access to technology. Rather, it is intended to push platforms, parents, and guardians to take more responsibility for keeping children safe online.

The move makes Malaysia the latest country to introduce statutory curbs on social media access for minors, joining a growing list of nations concerned about the impact of these platforms on the mental health and safety of young people.

It also reflects a wider clampdown by Malaysian authorities on online content. Officials have reported a sharp increase in harmful material in recent years and have been particularly aggressive in targeting posts that seek to stoke racial or religious tensions, or that criticise the country’s monarchy.