PUTRAJAYA, Sept 25 — All social media platform providers operating in Malaysia have been advised to implement electronic Know-Your-Customer (eKYC) verification using government-issued documents such as MyKad, passport or MyDigital ID.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the implementation of the electronic identity system would ensure that user identities are fully verified to reduce online fraud and prevent children under 13 from opening their own social media accounts.
“For now, we are encouraging it, but when the Online Safety Act comes into effect at the end of this year or early next year, it will become mandatory.
“We found that platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, TikTok and others do not yet have a truly capable eKYC system, so we have asked them to implement the eKYC process using official government-issued documents,” he said.
He said this at the Communications Ministry’s monthly assembly here yesterday, which was also attended by Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching, the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa and Malaysian National News Agency chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin.
Fahmi said the government is firm in ensuring Malaysians are protected from online crimes such as investment scams, gambling and the sale of prohibited goods.
Meanwhile, the ministry, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, will coordinate a meeting between the Royal Malaysia Police, Attorney General’s Chambers, National Anti-Financial Crime Centre and the Ministry of Finance with Meta and TikTok in Singapore within the next two weeks.
Among the issues to be raised are the sale of prohibited items such as drug-laced vape liquids on Meta platforms like Facebook, and the implementation of eKYC verification using official government documents. — Bernama
