Recently, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil announced that social media platforms will soon be required to adopt electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) verification. Now, it seems that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has initiated the first steps to make that happen.
Speaking at Dewan Rakyat today, Fahmi revealed that MCMC and several government agencies will be meeting with social media platform providers in Singapore next week. The minister explained that MCMC has scheduled meetings with officials from these companies, including Meta, Google, X, as well as TikTok.
The purpose of the meetings is to discuss the implementation of eKYC verification. “We want to explore the best mechanisms for the eKYC verification process that utilise official government-issued documents such as the MyKad, passport and MyDigital ID, to ensure secure implementation,” Fahmi stated. He also noted that this would be in line with the Personal Data Protection Act to prevent any data leaks or misuse of information.
In addition to this, the minister reiterated the reasons for enforcing eKYC verification for these platforms. He explained that aside from protecting children from cyber predators, the process is necessary to combat the rise in online scams. Citing discussions with the Royal Malaysian Police, he highlighted fake accounts impersonating prominent figures as the main hurdle in addressing the issue. The minister also noted that the government will continue its efforts to license social media platforms.
(Source: The Edge)
