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SHAH ALAM - The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) has launched a 45-day nationwide public consultation on proposed guidelines to address emerging risks in Malaysia’s rapidly growing influencer and creator economy.
The guidelines cover issues including artificial intelligence (AI) generated influencers, child exploitation, misleading claims, fake engagement and financial promotions.
Developed with input from creators, brands, agencies, advertisers, academics, civil society organisations, child-safety advocates and other industry specialists, the proposed Guidelines for Influencers and Brand Collaboration aim to establish practical standards for content that increasingly shapes Malaysians’ purchasing decisions, beliefs and behaviour.
CMCF chief executive officer Mediha Mahmood said influencer marketing had evolved beyond conventional advertising, making clearer standards necessary to protect consumers while supporting responsible creators and businesses.
“Influencer marketing has become too important to be governed by guesswork. At the same time, rules that look good on paper are not enough.
“These guidelines must work in the real world, where a creator may be trying to understand disclosure, a parent may be worried about what their child is seeing and a consumer may be deciding whether to trust a recommendation. That is why public feedback is so important,” she said.
The draft covers disclosure of paid collaborations, misleading and unsubstantiated claims, AI-generated and virtual influencers, children and kidfluencers, financial and health-related promotions, age-restricted products, digitally altered body images, fake followers and engagement, livestream sales tactics, contests and giveaways, citizen journalism and news-like content, as well as cultural and religious sensitivities.
The proposed standards also place responsibility on brands and agencies, rather than creators alone, particularly in how campaigns are briefed, approved and monitored.
Under the draft, virtual or AI-generated influencers should not claim personal experiences they could not genuinely have. Material use of AI or digital alteration that changes how a product, result or a person's appearance is perceived should also be disclosed.
Specific safeguards are proposed for children who regularly appear in monetised content, including a prohibition against deliberately provoking fear, distress, embarrassment or humiliation to generate engagement.
Commercial content involving body image should similarly not exploit insecurities or promote unhealthy body ideals. Digitally altered images that materially change body shape, size or skin appearance should be disclosed.
The guidelines also address financial influencers or “finfluencers”, with CMCF reminding creators that promotions involving investments, digital assets or capital market products may trigger separate requirements under Securities Commission Malaysia rules.
CMCF Council member Andrew Lee, who is also the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As) chief executive officer said clearer standards would help address the increasingly blurred line between advertising and creator content.
“Some of today’s most powerful advertising does not look like advertising at all. Creator-led marketing has become a serious part of the advertising economy and clearer standards give creators, brands and agencies greater certainty about where the boundaries sit.
“They also help protect the trust that makes this space valuable in the first place,” he said.
The draft also seeks to curb practices intended to manufacture credibility or pressure consumers, including fake followers, purchased comments, fabricated testimonials and other forms of deceptive amplification that create a false impression of popularity or consumer satisfaction.
Malaysia head of public policy at TikTok and CMCF member Firdaus Fadzil welcomed the consultative approach, saying practical guidance was important as the creator economy continued to develop.
“We welcome CMCF’s consultative and collaborative approach to developing practical guidance for creator-brand collaborations in Malaysia.
“Clearer expectations around transparency and responsible content practices can help creators, brands and audiences continue to build trust locally as the creator economy evolves.
“It is important that guidance remains practical, accessible and grounded in the realities of how creators and brands work today, while upholding rights-respecting principles and safeguarding freedom of expression for all Malaysians.” he said.
Mediha said the broad scope of the proposed guidelines reflected the rapidly changing role of influencers.
“Influence now carries real consequences, but responsibility should not come at the expense of creativity, personality or commercial opportunity.
“The purpose of this consultation is to make sure we get that balance right,” she said.
The guidelines were developed under CMCF’s self-regulatory mandate and are intended to operate alongside the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Content Code and other applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
The public consultation will remain open until Sept 30. Members of the public, creators, brands, agencies, platforms, educators, consumer groups, civil society organisations and other interested parties can review the draft and submit feedback through CMCF's official website.
CMCF also said interested parties seeking a detailed briefing on the proposed guidelines and consultation could contact the forum to arrange a dedicated town hall session.
Following the consultation, CMCF will review and consolidate the submissions before finalising the guidelines.
