According to a 2020 study conducted by Unicef, in East Asia alone, at least two in five children reported having bad experiences online that they would not tell anyone about.. — 123RF.com
ONLINE safety has become a critical issue as internet users grow in numbers and diversity.
Children are especially vulnerable in this digital landscape, as social media has extended into the lives of young children, who are at risk of exposure to harmful interactions with online predators.
According to a 2020 study conducted by Unicef, titled Our Lives Online: Malaysia Edition, one in three internet users is a child, and more than 175,000 children go online for the first time every day.
It also stated that, in East Asia alone, at least two in five children reported having bad experiences online that they would not tell anyone about.
These included adverse experiences such as receiving obscene photographs of strangers’ genitalia, violent videos, misinformation hoaxes and becoming the subject of cyberbullying – all of which pose a severe threat to mental health and well-being.
Creating a safe digital environment
In the digital world, scams, cyberbullying, sexual grooming and exploitation have become more prevalent.
Unregulated online spaces are proving to be increasingly dangerous, particularly for children and less tech-savvy individuals.
While the internet and social media provide many opportunities for children to learn and express themselves, these same tools can also increase children’s exposure to various online risks.
The growing prevalence of online threats has intensified the need for stronger digital protections, as many social media platforms have struggled to protect their users adequately from such threats.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil recently announced that the government is preparing to introduce Licensing for Social Media to ensure comprehensive protection for Malaysians in digital spaces. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
In response, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced that the government is preparing to introduce a licensing requirement for social media platforms with a user base of at least eight million in Malaysia.
The licensing aims to ensure comprehensive protection for Malaysians, and hold platforms accountable.
It mandates that all social media platforms operating in Malaysia must comply with specific safety guidelines, requiring them to actively monitor and manage harmful content.
Platforms that fail to meet these standards may face action under Section 126 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Licensing for Social Media.
Led by the Communications Ministry, the licensing regime is set to be enforced on Jan 1, 2025.
Safety cannot be postponed
Last week on Oct 30, Fahmi had met with Meta’s South-East Asia public policy director Rafael Frankel.
Fahmi had criticised the company’s poor handling of online scams and paedophile groups, pointing out that Meta’s platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, continue to host scams and predator groups, despite multiple discussions urging them to address these issues.
Reports of extensive paedophilia networks on Facebook, with thousands of members participating in illegal activities, emphasise the severe gap in platform monitoring and response mechanisms.
Despite the discussions, platforms like Meta have requested more time to address the harmful content and criminal activity proliferating on their networks. Fahmi underlined that this request essentially extends the time and opportunities available for online predators to circumvent protective measures.
His stance is clear – that the safety of Malaysians cannot be postponed for convenience.
The government’s commitment to regulating these platforms is both a proactive and necessary step in ensuring that children and all users can safely navigate the digital world.
On top of this, the government is also preparing to table the Online Safety Act.
This legislative framework aims to improve online safety, and will provide a legal basis in addressing issues such as the spreading of wrong information, online harassment, cyberbullying.
