Get ready for a significant shift in how you sign up for social media here in Malaysia. The government has announced that it will soon require all social media platforms to introduce ‘electronic Know Your Customer’ (eKYC) identity verification.
The move, explained by Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, is primarily about creating a safer online environment for children. The goal is to ensure that users under the age of 13 can no longer easily create accounts, thereby properly enforcing the platforms’ own community guidelines.
Fahmi revealed that he laid out this new mandate clearly in a meeting with social media representatives last month. He plans to present a firm timeline for the rollout to the Cabinet before making a public announcement on the details.
To get the ball rolling, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is set to meet with the social media companies next week to discuss the first practical steps for implementation.
But the reasoning extends beyond protecting younger users. The minister also highlighted that eKYC is a crucial tool for tackling other serious online issues, including the rise of online scams and the spread of harmful content like gambling and fake ads.
He pointed to a sobering statistic from a recent Parliament session, noting that a overwhelming 78% of all scam-related content taken down originated from Facebook.