IPOH: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will take additional measures on social media platforms that fail to comply with the age restriction ban from Jan 1, 2025.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said that currently, all platforms have set the age limit to 13 years old and below.
"We want to monitor how effectively they enforce these age restrictions.
"If their efforts are inadequate or unsatisfactory, we will consider additional measures,” he said at a press conference after the Perak Economic Outlook 2025 on Thursday (Dec 19).
Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad was also present.
Fahmi added that the platforms are in the final stages of licensing registering requirements.
He added that platforms with more than 8 million users or more will be required to register and obtain licenses from MCMC.
When asked if there are plans to introduce an age limit ban (under 16 years old) like in Australia, he said the government does not intend to implement such restrictions to maintain policy stability.
“We have discussed this matter with social media companies because these platforms are massive entities generating billions of ringgit in revenue.
"We are committed to ensuring no changes to the discussions we’ve had from the start until now. We want to provide policy stability and visibility for top-level management in these companies,” he said.
Fahmi further noted that the government’s aim is not to restrict freedom of expression but rather to curb the misuse of these platforms by criminals.
Fahmi added that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between MCMC and Digital Perak Corporation Holdings (DPCH) signed during the event on Thursday will pave the way to building smart cities in Ipoh.
"This strategic collaboration seeks to strengthen cooperation between MCMC and DPCH in enhancing digital infrastructure, empowering digital education, and providing smart and green community facilities.
"Under the MoU, Internet coverage in Perak will be improved to support the Perak Sejahtera 2030 Plan, particularly in developing communication infrastructure at agreed development locations," he said.
He also said that MCMC will advise the DPCH on matters related to digital infrastructure, networks, coverage, cybersecurity, and online fraud prevention.
He said the MoU also includes exploring collaborations in e-commerce and conducting ICT training programs at the Perak National Information Dissemination Center (NADI), targeting local community participation in NADI areas.
