CelcomDigi advances digital trust and online safety for major global social media platforms through trusted network APIs

• Network APIs help social media platforms strengthen identity verification and combat online fraud
• Collaboration with IPification enables secure mobile number verification without relying solely on SMS OTPs

As digital platforms face growing challenges from fake accounts, impersonation, account takeovers and online fraud, according to CelcomDigi, the company is advancing digital trust through secure network-based verification capabilities that help major global social media platforms verify users more seamlessly and securely.

Announced on World AI Day, the initiative highlights the growing importance of trusted identity verification as AI becomes increasingly embedded in digital experiences. As part of the effort, CelcomDigi is collaborating with IPification, a global leader in network-based authentication and mobile identity, to enable mobile number verification through trusted network APIs, helping create safer online experiences while strengthening user trust.

The solution combines CelcomDigi’s trusted mobile network intelligence with IPification’s authentication technology to verify that a mobile number belongs to the user without relying solely on SMS one-time passwords (OTPs). As the first telecommunications provider in Malaysia to collaborate with IPification, CelcomDigi is making these network-based verification capabilities available through its API-as-a-Service offering, enabling major global social media platforms to strengthen identity verification during account registration, login and recovery. This helps reduce the risks of fake accounts, identity fraud and account takeovers while delivering a faster, more seamless user experience.

T. Kugan, chief innovation officer, CelcomDigi, said, “Trust is becoming one of the most important foundations of the digital economy, especially as AI is transforming how people interact, create and connect online.”

“As we continue to lead the market and expand our API-as-a-Service capabilities, we are transforming our network into programmable digital infrastructure that powers innovation and creates value beyond connectivity. We are enabling enterprises and digital platforms to access trusted network APIs to build more secure, seamless and intelligent digital services,” he added.

Stefan Kostic, CEO of IPification, said, “CelcomDigi’s leadership in opening trusted network capabilities through APIs makes them a natural partner for IPification. As our first telecommunications partner in Malaysia, this collaboration marks an important milestone in expanding network-based authentication services in the market, enabling global digital platforms to verify users more securely while improving the customer experience.”

Trusted identity signals play an important role in improving platform safety as social media platforms increasingly adopt AI to personalise content, detect harmful behaviour and combat scams. Mobile number verification provides an additional layer of assurance by helping platforms confirm that users are genuine, reducing the risks of fake accounts, impersonation and fraud.

Potential use cases include:

• Seamless onboarding and account creation
• Protection against fake and duplicate accounts
• Stronger defence against account takeover and identity fraud
• More trusted AI-powered moderation and fraud detection
• Enhanced digital safety for consumers across online platforms

According to CelcomDigi, the initiative builds on its growing portfolio of trusted network APIs, including phone number verification services available through Google’s Firebase. As digital platforms continue to evolve and adopt AI-driven experiences, the company said it remains committed to enabling safer, more trusted digital interactions through secure network capabilities.