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Malaysia will soon require all social media platforms to implement 'electronic know-your-customer' (eKYC) identity verification for users
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the primary goal is to prevent children under the age of 13 from creating accounts and to enhance online safety.
He added that the move is also meant to ensure platforms better enforce their own community guidelines.
"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," Fahmi said, according to Bernama.
Beyond protecting children, Fahmi explained that the eKYC requirement is a critical step towards combating online crime
He highlighted the prevalence of scams, fake advertisements, and online gambling proliferating on these platforms.
"Many platforms have been misused by criminals for scams. As I mentioned in Parliament yesterday (14 October), 78% of all scam-related content taken down came from Facebook," Fahmi said
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is scheduled to meet with social media companies next week to discuss the immediate steps for implementing the new rule.
A specific timeline for the rollout will be presented to the cabinet before a public announcement is made.
In case you're wondering what eKYC verification is and how it works, we've written an in-depth explainer here.
