The government has assured that no personal data will be collected under its proposed social media age-verification mechanism, which will utilise MyKad, MyDigital ID, or passports solely to verify users’ ages.
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the system will not allow authorities to identify account owners or access users’ personal details, stressing that the mechanism is strictly for age verification purposes.
“We will not collect information on who the account user is, who owns the account, or their identity or name, as we will not have access to such details. The process is limited solely to age verification,” she said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Teo was responding to a supplementary question from Shaharizukirnain Abd Kadir (PN-Setiu).
She added that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is currently testing whether age-verification systems on social media platforms can function effectively, in line with requirements under the Online Safety Act 2025.
MCMC is working closely with social media companies to assess suitable technologies, including age-verification tools, entity verification, detection of fake identities, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to identify potentially harmful content. Efforts are also being made to improve complaint-handling mechanisms to ensure faster and more effective responses.
Teo was replying to another question raised by Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH–Bukit Bendera).
Meanwhile, parent and teacher groups have welcomed the government’s plan to enforce a minimum age of 16 for social media usage by July, while cautioning that strong enforcement and platform accountability will be key to its success.
