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Southeast Asia Moves to Protect Kids from Social Media

4/19/2026

49 10 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Malaysian comedian Rizal van Geyzel keeps his three children off social media, viewing it as a gateway drug to harmful content and prioritizing their mental health and safety.
Governments in Southeast Asia are aligning with parents like him.
Indonesia became the first in the region to prohibit under-16s from major social media platforms.
Malaysia and the Philippines are considering similar actions.
The effectiveness of these bans remains uncertain.

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Story summary

Malaysian comedian Rizal van Geyzel keeps his three children off social media, viewing it as a gateway drug to harmful content and prioritizing their mental health and safety.
Governments in Southeast Asia are aligning with parents like him.
Indonesia became the first in the region to prohibit under-16s from major social media platforms.
Malaysia and the Philippines are considering similar actions.
The effectiveness of these bans remains uncertain.