Social platforms on notice as Malaysia enforces age-verification requirements

Social media platforms operating in Malaysia could face financial penalties of up to RM10 million if they fail to comply with user age-verification requirements under the country's new Online Safety Act 2025 (Act 866), Bernama reported. 

Speaking during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has the authority to issue notices of non-compliance to application service providers that fail to meet obligations under Part III of the legislation.

According to Fahmi, licensed service providers that receive such notices will be required either to pay the prescribed penalty or submit representations to MCMC for review.

He said that for non-compliance with Part III of Act 866, licensed service providers may be subjected to financial penalties of up to RM10 million as provided under Section 39 of the Act.

Don't miss: MCMC sets new age verification standards for social platforms 

Fahmi was responding to a question from Syahredzan Johan on the measures being taken to ensure social media companies comply with age-verification requirements, as well as the actions that may be taken against platforms that fail to do so.

The minister added that Section 30 of the Act also empowers MCMC to issue written directives to licensed service providers regarding compliance with any provision of the legislation.

Failure to comply with such directives constitutes an offence and, upon conviction, may result in a fine of up to RM1 million. Platforms may also face an additional fine of up to RM100,000 for every day the offence continues after conviction.

Fahmi said the government has been engaging social media companies since January through a regulatory sandbox initiative aimed at discussing the implementation of age-verification mechanisms.

To date, more than 30 engagement sessions have been conducted, either collectively or individually, with the platforms involved.

He added, each platform faces its own challenges and business objectives, but the government is proceeding with age-verification requirements in line with practices already adopted in more than 25 countries worldwide.

The move marks Malaysia's latest effort to strengthen online safety measures, particularly for younger users, as governments globally increase scrutiny of digital platforms and their responsibility in protecting minors online.

Earlier in May, the MCMC published the Child Protection Code (CPC) and Risk Mitigation Code (RMC) under the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA), introducing a framework that places stronger accountability on social media platforms to protect children online.

At the centre of the CPC is a clear requirement, that users under the age of 16 will not be permitted to register for social media accounts. Platforms will be required to implement robust age verification systems to prevent underage account creation and ensure compliance across both new and existing users.

Platforms will be expected to verify age using government-issued records or equivalent official documentation, such as MyKad or passports. While implementation will vary across service providers, the CPC emphasises that systems must be secure, privacy-compliant and user-friendly. Existing under-16 users will also be required to undergo verification as part of the rollout.

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