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Minister of Communications, Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, emphasized today that parents should monitor their children and not allow those under the age of 16 to use applications such as WhatsApp and Telegram. This measure aims to reduce the risk of exposure to inappropriate content as well as cyberbullying.
The Minister had previously stressed that WhatsApp—or its parent company, Meta—should bear responsibility for addressing cyberbullying on their platforms. There have been instances where a student was added to a WhatsApp group containing other students, subsequently becoming a target of cyberbullying. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is currently examining this issue, specifically regarding the misuse of communication applications.
Previously, the government had also emphasized that individuals under the age of 16 should be restricted from opening social media accounts; however, some platforms have yet to fully implement this. In light of this, parents are urged to play an active role in monitoring the digital activities of their children, especially those under the age of 16.
