Minister of Communications, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil announced that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is now almost completing its engagement session with social media platforms for the implementation of electronic identity verification (eKYC).
He stressed that this step is important to ensure that the minimum age limit of 16 years can be enforced for the registration of new social media accounts, thus strengthening security and increasing transparency in the use of digital platforms in Malaysia.
Through the eKYC system, identity verification will be carried out using official documents such as MyKad, passport and MyDigital ID to ensure that the user's age is valid. This effort not only aims to protect young people from early access to social media but also to increase the level of security and transparency in the use of digital platforms in Malaysia.
He also added that the feedback from social media platforms so far has been positive with some of them having started implementing the identity verification process as done by Bigo Live. The government aims for all social media platforms to fully implement the eKYC system by the end of the second quarter of 2026.
In a related development, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stressed that a comprehensive study with the involvement of all stakeholders must be conducted first before enforcement is implemented.
