S Vell Paari said it was time for the government to take firm action, citing as an example Australia’s move to impose fines of up to A$50 million (RM136.5 million) on companies that fail to comply with similar age limit regulations.

Vell Paari said the proposal took into account the billions of ringgit in profits made by social media companies, as well as the  need to protect children from exposure to harmful content in cyberspace, Bernama reported.

“If the fine is too low, they (platform operators) won’t be deterred. They can pay the fine and continue to commit the same offence,” he said while debating the supply bill in the Dewan Negara today.

Vell Paari said the lack of control over users’ age makes children easily exposed to risks, including online fraud, cyberbullying, extreme content, and manipulation through artificial intelligence technology.

“Social media and AI are like (double-edged) swords. They can be used for education, business and communication, but without proper control, they can be damaging and harmful to children’s minds,” he said.

Last week, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government expected all social media platforms to implement digital user identity verification (eKYC) by the end of the second quarter of 2026, enforcing a minimum age of 16 for account creation.

He said the move aimed to protect children from online exploitation, with joint discussions between agencies and social media platforms already under way.

Another senator, Abdul Halim Suleiman, urged the government to take more decisive action to regulate advertisements on social media, including on TikTok and Instagram, that promote inappropriate material.

“If there are no laws regulating such advertising, we fear that technology could erode our children’s identity and discipline, potentially leading them from mere curiosity to more harmful behaviour,” he said.

The Dewan Negara will sit again tomorrow.