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KUALA LUMPUR – The government will study whether electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) and age verification measures can be extended to online gaming platforms such as Roblox, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil says.
He said the move would take into account several factors, including underage users and the possibility of extremist, radical and terrorist groups abusing the platforms.
“In my discussions with Roblox, for example, since last year, it has shown that they are ready to cooperate.
“The issue might only be in terms of user verification and user age verification.
“So we will look into the suitability of expanding aspects of eKYC and age verification to platforms like Roblox,” he told reporters after a document exchange ceremony for a RM5.2 billion financing facility for Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) here today.
Fahmi was responding to remarks by former Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay on the issue, which also involved concerns about underage children.
He said the government, including through the National Security Council, continuously monitored platforms that could be misused by such groups.
Action would be taken by the authorities, including the Royal Malaysia Police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), if necessary, he added.
“We will consider various aspects, but if prompt action needs to be taken, that will certainly be carried out by the authorities,” he said.
In a separate development, Fahmi said he would discuss age restrictions for social media users with his Indonesian counterparts during an upcoming visit to the country.
He was scheduled to leave for Bali this afternoon before travelling to Jakarta tomorrow to attend the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) 2026 and hold several meetings, including with ministers responsible for communications and digital affairs, as well as culture.
“Indonesia has its own ways, its own regulatory framework, and there are differences and similarities with Malaysia.
“We will discuss to look at the challenges faced in discussions with these social media platform service providers,” he said.
Fahmi added that his meeting with Indonesia’s Culture Minister would also cover Malaysia’s ambition to bring local intellectual property (IP) to Indonesian audiences.
He noted that Malaysian productions available on streaming platforms such as Viu were also watched by audiences in the neighbouring country.
He said both sides would explore ways to strengthen ties between the Malaysian and Indonesian film industries, as well as discuss productions and online content.
“We will also discuss, God willing, collaborative efforts between production companies, films, and creative content,” he said. –BERNAMA
