KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s new Child Protection Code (CPC) under the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA) takes effect today, bringing new obligations for major social media platforms operating in the country.

Among the biggest changes is a requirement for platforms to verify users’ ages and prevent children under 16 from registering social media accounts.

The code, issued by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), applies to licensed social media platforms with at least eight million users in Malaysia, including platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Here is what users and parents need to know about the new rules.

The CPC is a regulatory code issued under the Online Safety Act 2025.

The code sets out measures that licensed online service providers must implement to ensure safer online use for children, including:

Age verification;

Privacy and safety settings;

Content moderation;

Recommendation algorithms;

Parental control tools; and

Restrictions on harmful or exploitative interactions.

MCMC said the code is part of a broader effort to strengthen online safety protections for children and other vulnerable users.

What is changing from June 1?

The main change is that social media platforms covered by the code will be expected to stop users below 16 from registering social media accounts.

Platforms must introduce age verification measures to determine whether users are at least 16 years old before allowing account registration or access to certain features.

MCMC has said a grace period will be provided to allow platforms time to implement and complete the verification process.