KUALA LUMPUR – Users of social media platforms will be required to upload official government-issued documents to verify their age starting June 1, following the introduction of two new codes under the Online Safety Act (ONSA) by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the codes, the Children’s Protection Code (CPC) and the Risk Mitigation Code (RMC), allow the use of identity cards, passports, or other official documents to stop users under 16 from opening social media accounts.
“We have now asked platforms to implement age verification. Users need to verify their age using government-issued documents such as identity cards, passports or other official documents.
“If it is merely self-declared, anyone can simply click and claim they are above 18 years old,” she told reporters after officiating the Safe Internet Campaign Community Carnival in Kuching today.
Teo added that the MCMC has not mandated any specific technology for social media platforms to carry out the age verification process.
The government will provide a reasonable period for platforms to implement the process for existing accounts before taking enforcement action.
“For existing accounts that have yet to complete age verification, MCMC is still discussing a reasonable timeframe after engaging with the involved social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook and Instagram.
“Those who fail to complete verification may have their accounts closed, or the social media platforms may need to use artificial intelligence to ensure users are aged 16 and above,” she said.
The government had earlier decided that children under 16 are not allowed to open or own social media accounts on platforms with more than eight million users in Malaysia.
Teo said the two codes were developed following engagement sessions with industry players, civil society organisations, and stakeholders conducted since the start of this year.
Earlier in her speech, she highlighted that between January and April this year, 23,367 online scam cases were reported, resulting in losses of RM680.3 million.
She added that since the launch of the Safe Internet Campaign in January 2025 up to April 30, over 11,000 programmes had been held nationwide, involving more than 1.8 million participants, including school students, youths, parents, educators, senior citizens, and local communities. — May 22, 2026