KUALA LUMPUR – TikTok has been told to introduce stronger safeguards to prevent children under 13 from using its platform, with the communications minister warning that current measures are ineffective.
Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the ministry had directed the company to work with the police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to establish clear mechanisms and a timeline for enforcement.
“One of the main problems on TikTok and other social media platforms is the presence of children under 13, which is not permitted under their community guidelines,” Fahmi told reporters after a meeting with TikTok’s senior management, PDRM and MCMC at Bukit Aman today, Bernama reported.
Among the options under consideration are electronic ‘Know Your Customer’ (e-KYC) verification and restricting access to functions such as commenting and sharing until users prove their identity.
Fahmi said visits to primary schools had shown that even Year One pupils were using TikTok accounts, in breach of the rules.
“I don’t see TikTok enforcing this prohibition aggressively. Their approach has been very weak, and the existing mechanism is ineffective,” he said.
The minister added that while the government has no plans to block TikTok in Malaysia, legal action could be reviewed if the platform fails to comply with regulations.
The directive comes after TikTok was summoned to Bukit Aman earlier this week over delays in cooperating with police investigations into the spread of fake news, including posts by an individual who falsely claimed to be a surgeon in the Zara Qairina Mahathir case. — September 4, 2025