PETALING JAYA: There is no issue in implementing an age verification system using official government documents to restrict social media access for those under 16, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
The Communications Minister said that in terms of data protection and personal data security, the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) already applies to the handling of personal data.
He added that other sectors in the country are already adopting the same approach, such as in e-wallet services.
“In terms of policy, we are aware that in our country, age verification already uses documents such as MyKad for authentication.
“We also know that at present, especially for e-wallet services, identity verification is carried out using official government documents, including MyKad.
“Therefore, in terms of policies, we see no contradiction in implementing age verification using official government documents, as other sectors in the country are already using the same approach,” he told a post-Cabinet press conference on Wednesday (May 20).
It was previously reported that the government plans to impose restrictions on access to social media accounts for children under 16 as part of efforts to strengthen online protection.
This includes targeting all social media platforms to implement digital user identity verification (eKYC) by the end of the second quarter of 2026 to enforce the minimum age requirement for account registration.
On another matter, Fahmi said measures to prioritise operating expenditure for each ministry have begun to show positive results without affecting service delivery or the implementation of ministry programmes.
He added that the government’s review of operating expenditure across ministries has achieved about 50% of its target.
“Priority continues to be given to strengthening frontline services, particularly in the health, security and education sectors, to ensure that the welfare of the people is safeguarded,” he said.
