Report minors who use social media sites
DELETE or report social media accounts belonging to underage users, popular social media platforms say.
Google doesn’t allow users below the age of 13 to have Google Accounts – a unified sign-in system that gives you access to products like Google Play, Gmail, YouTube.
In some countries, that age limit may be higher according to local law requirements.
The exception is if they are using G Suite for education through their schools, said Google Malaysia communications and public affairs head Zeffri Yusof.
All Malaysian government school students have free access to G Suite.
“Our services aren’t intended for those under 13.
“If the account belongs to a child aged 13 or younger, we may remove the account in accordance with our service terms, and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.”
To help parents and guardians, Google has products like YouTube Kids, Family Link, and Be Internet Awesome – a curriculum to help kids be safer online, he said.
While most social media platforms set a minimum age of 13 to sign up on their sites, CyberSecurity Malaysia’s nationwide survey of over 8,000 primary and secondary students found that almost half of the pupils aged between seven and nine, have social media accounts.
This percentage went up to 67% for children aged between 10 and 12, said the Sunday Star in its report on Oct 8.
Stressing that the chat app takes the safety of its users “very seriously”, and appreciates the sensitivity of the age limit, a WhatsApp support team spokesperson said users who register for the app and accepts its service terms, certify that they’re at least 13 years old or have received consent from a parent or guardian.
“If you have concerns over your child’s use of WhatsApp, we suggest that you delete the account and remove the app from their phone,” he said in an e-mail response.
Facebook takes steps to remind minors that they should only accept friend requests from people they know, it said in a press statement.
Along with providing tools and settings that allow people to select who they share and connect with, Facebook takes additional precautions to help keep young people safe, it said.
For minors, Facebook has designed many of features to remind them of who they are sharing with and to limit interactions with strangers.
“For example, we provide minors with specific education about what it means to post publicly. We also protect sensitive information, such as minors’ contact information, school and birthday, from appearing in search to a public audience.”
The platform also provides safety tips and resources for parents to educate their children on social media usage.
Facebook’s service terms state that “you will not use Facebook if you are under 13”.
Underage accounts can be reported at www.facebook.com/ help/157793540954833.