Education Communications Ministries To Discuss Tiktok For Under 13s

---

 
TikTok community guidelines explicitly state that users must be 13 years and older to have an account.PETALING JAYA: The education ministry will discuss with the communications ministry about children under 13 owning TikTok accounts, education minister Fadhlina Sidek said today.
She said the ministry needed to get complete information before issuing any guidelines on the matter and would seek the opinion of the communications minister (Fahmi Fadzil) and coordinate with his ministry.
“I need to get complete information and guidance from him to assess the potential effects and impact on our children,” she said according to Bernama.
“I am certain there are guidelines to be followed, meaning there is control particularly by the parents,” she told reporters after an event in Bayan Lepas, Penang.
Fahmi was reported as saying that TikTok account ownership by children under 13 is among the issues being considered to be raised with the social media platform’s management.
He said there was some concern as TikTok community guidelines state that users must be 13 years and older to have an account.
Need for regulations on social media
Fahmi said he would discuss with the attorney-general if it is necessary to take legal action against the social media platform’s management regarding account ownership by children, as done in other countries.
He also said there was a need for a law to regulate social media platforms, citing concerns over cybersecurity, privacy, copyright and immoral content.
The minister said such legal provisions were necessary to safeguard the rights of social media users, especially to protect sensitive information, Astro Awani reported.
“Right now (there is no form of control on) social media platforms, though nearly every other country does (so). So, we are looking at (enacting) specific regulations (for social media platforms).”
Fahmi added that the US and European Union had laws that allowed them to take action on social media companies for flouting consumer rights. - FMT

---