Malaysia To Require Social Media Platforms To Enforce Age Limit For Users - Fahmi

SIPITANG, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will soon require all social media platforms to implement ‘electronic Know Your Customer’ (eKYC) identity verification to ensure users under 13 do not own accounts.

Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the move aims to protect children online and ensure that community guidelines set by the platforms are properly enforced.

“When I met representatives from social media platforms last month, I made it clear that Malaysia will make identity verification mandatory, especially to prevent children below 13 from having accounts.

“I will present the exact timeline to the Cabinet before making an announcement,” he told reporters after officiating the ‘NADI (National Information Dissemination Centre) on Wheels’ programme at the Sindumin state constituency here today.

Also present were Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, Sipitang MP Datuk Matbali Musah, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) deputy managing director (Regulation and Corporate) Datuk Zurkarnain Mohd Yasin and Bernama Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj.

Fahmi said MCMC will hold a meeting with social media companies next week to discuss immediate steps towards implementing the requirement.

Beyond child protection, he said eKYC is also crucial to curb online scams and harmful content such as gambling and fake advertisements.

“Many platforms have been misused by criminals for scams. As I mentioned in Parliament yesterday, 78 per cent of all scam-related content taken down came from Facebook,” he said.

Meanwhile, the NADI on Wheels initiative, jointly implemented by the ministry and MCMC, aims to expand digital access and bring information technology to rural communities.

There are currently 1,099 NADI centres nationwide, including 131 in Sabah.

The programme in Sipitang also features Starlink connectivity with speeds of up to 250 Mbps and several tablets for digital and entrepreneurship training.

Fahmi also highlighted the upcoming RM2 billion MADANI Submarine Cable Connectivity (SALAM) project linking Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Sabah, expected to be completed within two to three years.

“For the SALAM project, in Sabah we will also build a coastal submarine cable network with cables to be laid from Tanjung Aru all the way to Tawau along the coast. We expect this project to be completed within two to three years,” he said.

He said the SALAM project will be a ministry priority to ensure stable communications in Sabah and to reduce reliance on existing submarine cables.

At the same time, Fahmi said MCMC will focus on telecom tower maintenance in flood-prone areas by implementing site hardening and hybrid power systems to improve resilience.

-- BERNAMA