Fahmi: Govt to study identity, age checks for Roblox and online gaming platforms

Oct 19 — The government will examine the feasibility of expanding the implementation of electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) verification and age verification to online gaming platforms such as Roblox, said Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil

He said the move will take into account various aspects, including issues involving underage users as well as the possibility of the platforms being abused by extremist, radical, and terrorist groups.

“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 the document exchange ceremony for a RM5.2 billion financing facility for Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) here today.

He said this when commenting on a statement by former Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay regarding the issue, which also encompasses underage children.

Fahmi said the government, including through the National Security Council, conducts continuous monitoring of platforms that may be misused by these groups.

He said that action will be taken by the authorities, including the Royal Malaysia Police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), if the need arises.

“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 another development, Fahmi said he will discuss the implementation of age restriction efforts for social media users with his counterpart during a visit to Indonesia.

He is scheduled to depart for Bali this afternoon before heading to Jakarta tomorrow to attend the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) 2026 and hold a series of meetings, including with ministers responsible for communications and digital, 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 the meeting with Indonesia’s Minister of Culture will, among other things, discuss Malaysia’s aspiration to bring local intellectual property (IP) for viewing by the Indonesian public.

He noted that there are Malaysian works broadcast through streaming platforms like Viu that are also watched by communities in the neighbouring country.

Accordingly, he said both sides will examine ways to bridge the ties between Malaysia’s and Indonesia’s cinema networks, besides discussing productions that broadcast online content.

“We will also discuss, God willing, collaborative efforts between production companies, films, and creative content,” he said