Fahmi: Social media platforms must respect Malaysian laws as age‑verification begins

“KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — Social media platforms operating in Malaysia must respect and comply with the country’s laws, particularly those relating to online safety and the protection of children, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said. He said the reminder comes as the government begins enforcing age-verification requirements for social media account registration from today through the implementation of the Child Protection Code (CPC) and Risk Mitigation Code (RMC). Fahmi said the two codes, introduced under the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA), represent a crucial first step in protecting individuals under the age of 16 from online harm. “This is only the first step. There are further measures that we need to take, including against platforms that fail to comply. Some platforms seem to think they are bigger than our country. “You cannot have your cake and eat it too. If you want to do business and operate in our country, major platforms must respect our laws,” he told Bernama after attending the Investiture Ceremony in conjunction with the Official Birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara today. Beginning today, Malaysia requires age verification for the registration of new social media accounts to ensure that individuals below the age of 16 are no longer allowed to open such accounts. For existing users, age verification will be implemented progressively over a period of up to six months by the respective social media service providers. Under the new regulations, users registering for accounts must provide official government-issued identification documents, such as a MyKad, passport or MyDigital ID, to verify their age. The requirement applies to licensed social media services, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. — Bernama

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