Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said on Sunday that social media platforms would be required to implement electronic know-your-customer (eKYC) identity checks in 2026 under the Online Safety Act, which comes into force on January 1.
Users will have to verify their age using government-issued identity documents such as the MyKad identity card, passports or the national digital ID in a move away from the self-declared age checks of today.
“We expect all platform providers to be ready to implement eKYC by next year,” Fahmi was quoted as saying by local daily The Star, adding that the goal was to ensure minors “are prohibited from having social media accounts” and to strengthen safeguards against harmful content and online scams.
The push follows a string of troubling incidents including viral bullying videos, secondary school students sharing explicit clips and scam attempts that targeted teenagers.
