Legal experts in Malaysia are calling for laws to ban children and teenagers under 16 from using social media, following Australia's recent move to impose such restrictions. Lawyer Muhammad Akram Abdul Aziz suggested the government should amend or introduce laws to curb social media access for this age group, citing concerns about the harmful influence of online trends, misinformation, and mental health risks like cyberbullying and body shaming.

Akram emphasized that while social media platforms already have age restrictions, the government could help protect young people by enforcing a ban, which could prevent issues like disrespectful behavior, addiction, and depression.

However, other lawyers, like Ahmad Fahmi Moin, argued that existing laws on cyberbullying and pornography are sufficient to address online harm, though they supported further review if studies show negative effects on youth. Nizam Bashir also backed the idea of a law similar to Australia’s, noting it could be balanced without infringing on fundamental rights.