GOVERNMENT CONSIDERING USING EKYC TO VERIFY AGE, IDENTITY OF OMI USERS - FAHMI

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 31 (Bernama) -- The government is considering the use of the eKYC (electronic know your customer) verification system to verify the age and identity of Omi Blind Date (OMI) application users, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

Fahmi, who is the MADANI Government spokesperson, said the verification can be done using official government documents such as MyKad, passport and MyDigital ID.

He said the move is also aimed at protecting children from becoming victims of cybercrime following a recent case involving a 12-year-old girl who was treated indecently by a man she met through the application.

“This is a deeply regrettable incident. I have requested the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to investigate and call the company operating the application to explain the steps, mechanisms of the age verification system that are used currently.

“After that, we will also consider using eKYC,” he told a weekly press conference here today.

Fahmi said the government is also studying the possibility of applying a similar verification method to the online game Roblox, following news reports of an incident involving a nine-year-old child injuring a six-year-old sibling, allegedly under the influence of the game.

“At present, online games such as Roblox and others are not subject to any licensing regime, but the government is considering the most appropriate measures, including identity verification, to limit children from being exposed to online harm, including online games,” he said.

He said a police investigation into the incident is underway and that the government is aware of parents’ concerns over the potential negative influence of online games on children.

“The government will not take action against only one game, but will instead look at the online gaming ecosystem as a whole.

“Roblox has also announced that it is implementing an age verification process using artificial intelligence (AI) for players under 13,” he said

Fahmi said he had recently met with two Roblox representatives based in South Korea and Australia to discuss the matter.

“During the meeting, I informed the Roblox representatives that the government views several incidents that have occurred seriously, including the latest involving a child injuring a younger sibling,” he said.

Fahmi also stressed that parents play a crucial role in monitoring their children’s device usage, adding that digital devices should not serve as substitutes for parental supervision.

“I have also instructed MCMC, through the Safe Internet campaign, to raise awareness among parents about their responsibilities,  including not allowing children to access certain applications that can be downloaded on their devices,” he said.

-- BERNAMA