Post by : Shakul

The Malaysian government plans to finalise age verification mechanisms for social media users under the Online Safety Act 2025 in the second quarter of 2026, according to Teo Nie Ching.

The initiative aims to protect children and teenagers from harmful online content, including cyberbullying and sexual harassment. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is evaluating account security, personal data protection, privacy, and compatibility with existing laws as part of the process.

Teo said MCMC is conducting a Regulatory Sandbox with social media platforms to test technological approaches for age and identity verification, including AI tools to detect high-risk content. Once finalised, platforms will be fully responsible for preventing users aged 16 and below from operating accounts.

Non-compliance could result in financial penalties of up to RM10 million. Between January 2022 and February 2026, 1,578 requests to remove offensive content involving children were submitted to service providers, with 96% successfully removed.

MCMC has also launched a public consultation to develop a Risk Reduction Code and a Child Protection Code, which will make compliance mandatory for platforms, ensure safer algorithms, and establish faster complaint mechanisms.

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