JAKARTA - The Malaysian government requires social media users to upload official documents, such as identity cards or passports, as an age verification mechanism to prevent social media from being used by children under the age of 16.
The provision is valid starting June 1, 2026, as stipulated in the Child Protection Guidelines (CPC) and Risk Mitigation Guidelines (RMC) under the 2025 Online Security Law in Malaysia.
"We have now asked social media platforms to implement age verification. Users need to verify their age using government-issued documents such as identity cards, passports, or other official documents," said Deputy Communications Minister of Malaysia Teo Nie Ching during a working visit in Kuching, Malaysia, reported by ANTARA from BERNAMA.
He said that if age verification on social media is only done with self-declaration, then anyone can claim to be old enough to use social media.
Teo said that for the time being, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had not specified the specific technology that social media platforms should use to verify age, and the Malaysian government would give a period of time to implement the process before taking enforcement action.
"For existing accounts that have not yet verified their age, MCMC is still discussing a reasonable period of time, after discussing with the social media platforms concerned, including TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram," he explained.
He said that later anyone who does not verify their age by uploading documents will most likely have their account closed.
The Malaysian government previously decided that children under the age of 16 are not allowed to open or have social media accounts for platforms that have more than eight million users in Malaysia.
This decision is to protect children from the harmful effects that social media can cause, including online fraud.
Teo said that from January to April 2026, a total of 23,367 cases of online fraud were reported in Malaysia, with losses reaching 680.3 million ringgit.
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