As you may know, the Malaysian government has stipulated that social media platforms will only be able to register and use by Malaysians aged 16 and above by the middle of this year. This means that social media platforms already registered in Malaysia, such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and YouTube, will have to filter their users to ensure that all Malaysian users are aged 16 and above.
Today, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has released a document with frequently asked questions regarding the Children Protection Code that social media platforms will have to comply with starting June 1, 2026.
The Child Protection Code (“CPC”) sets out the steps that licensed online service providers, under Section 18 of the ONSA, must take to ensure that their services are safe for child users. This includes ensuring age-appropriate access and additional protection for child users on their platforms.
MCMC is empowered under section 80 of the ONSA to issue any code for the purpose of complying with its obligations under Part III of the Online Safety Act (ONSA). In accordance with section 18 of Part III of the ONSA, the CPC sets out the steps that must be implemented by the relevant licensed online service providers to ensure that the use of their services is safe for children.
One way to ensure the safe use of social media services begins with verifying the age of users with documents issued by the Malaysian government such as MyKad or passport. Social media platform operators must also provide clear instructions on the verification process, including the information required, the method of implementation and the procedures for handling user information.
The government gives these platforms the freedom to choose the age verification process to use, but according to the document shown by the MCMC, verification using MyKad or passport is mandatory as part of the age verification process. So they can use platforms such as MyDigital ID or other eKYC systems for this process.
Children who do not verify their age to be at least 16 years and above will either not be allowed to register for a social media platform account, or the functionality that can be used will be severely restricted. Social media platform operators can also take appropriate action such as blocking such underage users from using their platforms.
The CPC Code applies to social media platforms that are registered with their government, and that have at least 8 million Malaysian users. If platform operators fail to comply with the requirements set by the CPC, they can be fined up to RM10 million. This fine will be temporarily suspended to give social media platform operators the opportunity to implement their own age verification systems.
