Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching urged Meta on September 5 to extend Facebook and Instagram safety features for users under 18 worldwide, including Malaysia, as part of efforts to curb internet addiction risks among youth [1, 2, 3]. She made the call while inspecting a damaged futsal court in Taman Desa Kulai.
The Malaysian government wants Meta to implement features such as daily usage limits and nighttime access restrictions beyond the United States, where Meta recently agreed to a settlement requiring these changes. Under the settlement, Meta is to pay up to US$17.1 billion and introduce protections including limiting under-18 platform use to two hours a day and restricting usage from midnight to 6 a.m. [1, 2, 3].
Teo highlighted that "these measures are very important to ensure that internet addiction can be properly addressed, and we want to ensure that when everyone has access to the internet, young people also receive the protection they need" [1].
Among the changes, Meta will improve age verification processes and remove features like 'infinite scroll' and 'auto-feed' to reduce excessive screen time. Meta also pledged to hide 'likes' for underage users to lessen social pressure and discourage risky behavior aimed at gaining viral attention. Teo said, "Features such as ‘infinite scroll’ and ‘auto-feed’ will be discontinued, and Meta has also pledged to hide the number of ‘likes’ for underage users. This is to ensure that young people do not become overly focused on chasing ‘likes’ to the extent of doing something unwise simply to make their posts go viral" [1].
Social media platforms in Malaysia have been granted a grace period to implement these underage restrictions. "Some people have asked me why their children aged 16 and below can still use social media. This is because the platforms requested a grace period, and we are still within that period," Teo said [1].
Beyond Meta, Malaysia demands comprehensive enforcement of underage protection measures across all social media platforms [1, 2, 3]. The government seeks stronger safeguards to address risks faced by young internet users countrywide.
Authorities are continuing discussions with social media companies to ensure timely implementation of these safety features. Malaysia’s focus remains on safeguarding youth welfare as digital engagement grows.
