KUALA LUMPUR — The government is exploring licensing and identity verification for online games and applications to prevent children from being exposed to digital risks.
According to Sinar Harian, government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the move comes amid rising public concern over child safety on increasingly accessible platforms.
“At present, online games such as Roblox are not subject to any licensing regime.
“We are assessing the best approach, including identity verification to protect young users,” he reportedly said during a post-Cabinet press conference in Putrajaya today.
Currently, licensing only applies to social media platforms and messaging systems, while gaming apps remain outside this framework.
Fahmi added that the Ministry of Communications and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) are reviewing the ecosystem to ensure any future policy is comprehensive.
The review follows several incidents involving children, including a case where a nine-year-old allegedly attacked his six-year-old sibling in Batu Pahat over an argument triggered by Roblox.
“The police are investigating, and preliminary findings suggest a link to Roblox.
“We will leave it to the authorities to determine the outcome,” he said, as reported by the national daily.
Fahmi, who is also the communications minister, said he had met with Roblox representatives from South Korea and Australia to discuss safety measures and limits for underage players.
“Roblox restricts certain functions for players under 13, such as interaction and communication with other users.
“However, other applications remain easily accessible to children,” he noted.
He emphasised that parents play a crucial role in keeping children safe online.
“Devices are not babysitters and cannot replace parents.
“I have instructed MCMC to highlight parental responsibility more clearly in the next Safe Internet campaign,” he reportedly added.
Fahmi also said Roblox is introducing age verification using artificial intelligence (AI), and MCMC will hold further technical discussions to understand the mechanism.
The government is also considering digital ID verification, or e-KYC, using MyKad, passports, or MyDigital ID to confirm users’ age and identity.
Fahmi highlighted the importance of these measures after a recent case involving the OMI app, where a 12-year-old was sexually assaulted after meeting an adult through the platform.
“I have asked MCMC to summon the app companies involved to explain their safety mechanisms.
“Moving forward, we will examine the need to expand age and identity verification for such applications,” he said.
