PETALING JAYA: Online games could soon be required to disable high-risk features by default on children’s accounts, including voice chats with strangers, direct messages from non-contacts and paid randomised rewards, under a proposed Gaming Sub-Code.
The draft also proposes private child profiles, default spending limits, verified parental consent to enable certain features, and a ban on personalised advertising targeting child accounts.
It will be finalised after a public consultation ends on Oct 24 and then submitted to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for registration.
The sub-code is expected to take effect next year, subject to MCMC registration.
Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum) chief executive officer Mediha Mahmood said the draft was in its fourth version following several working group discussions.
The Content Forum, an independent self-regulatory body that develops and administers industry content standards, is leading the initiative.
“The Gaming Sub-Code draft is at its fourth version after multiple working group discussions,” she said in a response to The Star.
The Gaming Sub-Code is a set of industry rules aimed at promoting a safer and more accountable gaming environment, with requirements tailored according to the role and level of risk involved.
The proposed sub-code comprises 14 parts covering age assurance and age-appropriate design, disclosures, responsible monetisation, in-game advertising, user interaction and community safety, complaints, and operator accountability.
It also proposes that relevant operators appoint a Gaming Safety Officer to handle child-safety and sub-code compliance matters.
Under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Content Code, children are defined as those below 18.
Mediha said the proposed sub-code follows the self-regulatory framework of the Content Code, which includes standards, mechanisms for addressing complaints and non-compliance, and public education.
“Importantly, the Gaming Sub-Code also sets out responsibilities for users, parents and guardians. A code that only tells companies what to do would address only one side of the equation,” she said.
Once registered, it will apply to Content Forum members, parties that agree to comply with it, and persons directed by MCMC to do so under Section 99 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Mediha said the sub-code would not replace Malaysian law or the role of enforcement authorities, but set practical standards for developers, publishers, platforms and operators to design safer systems.
The initiative comes amid concerns over children’s exposure to violent or age-inappropriate content, loot boxes, gambling-style mechanics and unsafe online interactions.
Mediha said many games played by children were free to download and could be installed within seconds, meaning there may be no payment-based check.
“Protection depends much more heavily on the age information and controls available at the account, device or platform level,” she said.
In many gaming environments, age is established through self-declaration unless stronger requirements apply under the law, platform rules or parental settings.
“The issue for us is whether that age signal is strong enough when a child is trying to access a higher-risk feature,” she said.
The draft does not seek to classify or ban games, but focuses on safeguards for features that pose greater risks to children.
For paid randomised rewards, commonly known as loot boxes, odds must be clearly disclosed before purchase. The features must be disabled by default on child accounts and may only be enabled with verified parental consent.
Mediha said whether a game mechanic legally amounted to gambling remained a matter for Malaysian law and the relevant authorities.
“The sub-code does not attempt to redefine gambling. We are addressing the way gambling-like mechanics are designed and presented, particularly where children are concerned,” she said.
The draft does not prescribe a specific age-verification technology, but requires age assurance to be accurate, robust, reliable and fair. Where a platform already holds a reliable age signal, it should be used instead of requiring a child to upload documents to an individual game studio.
The working group includes game publishers and developers, platforms and app stores, local studios, civil society groups, child-protection advocates, lawyers and academics.
Concerns raised included obligations for smaller Malaysian developers, privacy in age checks, alignment with international practices and the position of those under 18 in esports.
Complaints that cannot be resolved directly with an operator may be referred to the Content Forum’s Complaints Bureau.
