KUALA LUMPUR: The rising number of sexual crime cases involving children being groomed or exploited through social media has sparked public concern, with many calling for stricter age verification measures to protect minors better.
CyberSecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab said the proposed implementation of an account verification system or Electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) process would not only make it more difficult for individuals to create fake profiles, but also assist authorities in tracking accounts that are being misused for criminal activities.
He said the implementation of eKYC could also help enforce the minimum age requirement for social media users, thereby preventing children under 13 from freely registering accounts – in line with the policies of most international social media platforms.
On Wednesday, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil reportedly said that Malaysia will require all social media platforms to implement a user identity verification process, or eKYC, to ensure that children under 13 are not allowed to own accounts.
However, he said the move must be implemented carefully, as challenges remain in terms of the cost of integrating eKYC systems with large platforms such as Meta and TikTok, as well as concerns related to user privacy and accessibility for all segments of society.
