Malaysia has begun enforcing identity-linked online safety rules as the country also starts a phased national identity card redesign, putting identity verification at the center of several measures taking effect this month. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is now requiring social media platforms to verify the age of account holders and the identity of paid advertisers, while the National Registration Department has begun issuing a redesigned MyKad with expanded security features.
The age-verification requirement bars anyone under 16 from opening a social media account. Under the Children’s Protection Code and Risk Mitigation Code introduced through the Online Safety Act 2025, platforms must verify a registrant’s age using official identification such as MyKad, a passport, or another government-issued document. The requirement applies to existing account holders as well, with platforms given up to six months to verify their user base; existing users found to be under 16 will be given one month to download or transfer their data before any restriction takes effect. Service providers that fail to comply face penalties of up to 10 million ringgit.
A parallel measure targets paid advertising. Social media platforms classified as licensees, those with more than eight million users in Malaysia, must now verify the identity of advertisers running sponsored posts. Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said many sponsored posts use the images of well-known individuals to promote dubious investments, financial scams, and online gambling, and that enforcement had been difficult because authorities could not establish who paid for the advertisements. Takedown data underscores the scale: gambling content accounts for the majority of the commission’s removal requests, with scam-related content, including fake and impersonation accounts, making up a further large share.
The third measure modernizes the underlying credential. The National Registration Department has begun a phased rollout of a redesigned MyKad carrying 53 security elements, up from 23 in the current card, including QR codes for verification, holograms, microtext, ultraviolet features, laser engraving, and a chip with stronger encryption. Existing cards remain valid for all official transactions, and holders of older card types will be required to replace them in stages over three years. The department has advised the public not to rush to replace their cards.
The three measures draw on the same national identity stack. Malaysia has been expanding MyDigital ID adoption across government and private-sector systems and recently moved toward expanded biometric collection for MyKad holders through new legislation. The age-verification regime parallels online safety enforcement elsewhere, including age-verification pilots ahead of the UK’s Online Safety Act.
Civil society groups have raised privacy concerns about requiring users to submit government identification to multiple platforms, warning of risks around data misuse and surveillance.
Sources: Bernama, Associated Press, Malay Mail, Malay Mail
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By Cass Kennedy
