Malaysia to Mandate ID-Based Age Checks for Social Media

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Malaysia is now requiring social media users to verify their age using official documents, including an ID card or passport, to enforce the country's under-16s ban. 

This provision will take effect on June 1, 2026, as stipulated in the Children's Protection Code (CPC) and Risk Mitigation Code (RMC) under Malaysia's Online Safety Act 2025.

"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," said Malaysian Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching during a working visit to Kuching, Malaysia, on Friday, as reported by BERNAMA.

Teo said that if age verification on social media is merely self-declared, then anyone can claim to be old enough to use social media.

Teo said that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has not yet determined the specific technology that social media platforms must use for age verification, and the Malaysian government will provide a timeframe for implementing the process 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," she explained.

She said that anyone who fails to complete age verification by uploading documents will likely have their account closed.

The Malaysian government previously ruled that children under the age of 16 are not allowed to open or maintain social media accounts on platforms with more than eight million users in Malaysia.

This decision is to protect children from the harmful effects of social media, including online fraud.

Teo said that from January to April 2026, a total of 23,367 online fraud cases were reported in Malaysia, with losses reaching RM680.3 million.

Read: Indonesia Weighs Phone Number Requirement for Social Media

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