Government to assess eKYC and age checks for online gaming
Fahmi said the review would consider underage users and the risk of gaming platforms being misused by extremist, radical and terrorist groups.
Malaysia will assess whether electronic know-your-customer (eKYC) checks and age verification should be extended to online gaming services, including Roblox, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said on Oct 19.
Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur, Fahmi said discussions he had held with Roblox since last year indicated its willingness to cooperate. He identified verification of users and their ages as areas that might need attention, with the assessment also covering underage users and potential misuse by extremist, radical and terrorist groups.
Fahmi said monitoring of platforms vulnerable to such misuse was ongoing, with the National Security Council involved. Authorities, including the Royal Malaysian Police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, would act if necessary, he added.
Separately, Fahmi said he would discuss age restrictions for social media users with his Indonesian counterpart during a visit to the country. The discussions would cover challenges encountered in dealing with platform providers, taking account of similarities and differences between the two countries’ regulatory frameworks.
His planned meetings also included talks with Indonesia’s culture minister on making Malaysian intellectual property available to Indonesian audiences. Fahmi said the two sides would explore links between their cinema networks and cooperation involving production companies, films and creative content.
