Wawasanex Warns Blanket Under 16 Social Media Ban may Push Teens into Riskier Online Spaces

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 11 February 2026 — Wawasanex, a Malaysian public policy think tank, today called on the Government to rethink the proposed move to restrict social media access for those under 16. Wawasanex cautioned that international experience, including Australia’s recent implementation, points to real enforcement limits and predictable unintended consequences.

Protecting Children is The Goal, But Blanket Ban Missing Real Problem

Adli Amirullah, Chief Economist of Wawasanex, said protecting children online is a legitimate policy goal, but a blanket ban risks missing the real problem.

“If we push teenagers off mainstream platforms, they will not go offline. They will go elsewhere, often somewhere harder for parents, schools, and regulators to see,” said Adli.

Teens Will Move to Corners that’s Harder to Detect

“I agree we must protect minors from grooming, harassment, and cyberbullying. That is real harm. But an outright ban is a blunt tool. Teenagers will still find ways to talk and socialise, they will just move to corners of the internet that are harder for parents, schools, and regulators to see. That can make things less safe, not more. We have seen the same pattern when authorities ban an activity. It does not disappear, it shifts, and it becomes harder to manage. Social media should be treated the same way. Instead of pushing young people out entirely, make the environment safer by design. Stronger default protections for minors, tighter settings, meaningful parental tools, faster takedowns and enforcement, and clear accountability on platforms. The goal should be safer use, not forced invisibility.”

Don’t Confuse Access Restrictions with Harm Reduction

Adli said Malaysia should be careful not to confuse access restriction with harm reduction.

“Public policy must be built on behavioural realities, not assumptions. Young people will adapt faster than regulators. The better route is to reduce harm where they already are, not to pretend we can remove the behaviour entirely,” he said.

Adli added that this pattern is well documented in urban policy. Many cities tried to curb skateboarding by banning it in public spaces and installing deterrents such as skate stoppers. The result was rarely an end to skateboarding. Instead, the activity shifted to other locations, became harder to supervise, and often escalated friction between young people, local communities, and authorities. Over time, more workable approaches focused on safer design and managed spaces, such as dedicated skate areas, clearer rules, and engagement with the skateboarding community. 

“Online safety policy should take the same lesson. When the underlying need remains, the practical question is whether the behaviour is shaped into safer channels or pushed into riskier ones.” Adli added.

Wawasanex urged the Government to take a broader approach that focuses on outcomes and platform design. It pointed to policy directions used in other jurisdictions, such as requiring high privacy settings by default for children, limiting data collection, switching off geolocation by default, and tightening rules that prevent platforms from using profiling based advertising on minors. Wawasanex said measures like these reduce exposure and reduce amplification of harm, without pushing young users into less visible spaces.

Calls for Stakeholder Engagement

Wawasanex also called for proper stakeholder engagement before any restrictive legislation is introduced. This should include input from educators, parents, child psychologists, school administrators, technology experts, civil society groups, law enforcement agencies, relevant regulators, platforms, and app stores.

“Malaysia has a real opportunity to get this right. We should aim for smarter rules that protect children without cutting them off. We should put responsibility where it belongs, on platform design and enforcement, while strengthening families, schools, and communities to support young people,” Adli concluded.