KUALA LUMPUR (May 6): The government is finalising the regulatory framework for online services platforms which aims to, among others, protect children from potential harms associated with early media exposure, according to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
The online services platforms, particularly social media and internet messaging providers, will then be required to observe Malaysian laws and are expected to adhere to certain conduct requirements, Fahmi said during his opening speech at the International Regulatory Conference (IRC) 2024 here on Monday.
He said sexual grooming remains one of the major issues regarding online safety for children, as flagged by Bukit Aman’s Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division (D11) to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
“Generally, all social media platforms don’t allow children under the age of 13 to have their own accounts. They enable children to use the platforms with parental guidance. However, the platforms generally do not require proof of age,” he said.
“We want to first understand how different regulators from across the world approach this issue and have continuous engagement with online messaging systems and social media platforms,” he told reporters after the opening ceremony.
Fahmi also said that the government is in the midst of drafting laws to address online safety, including online scams and fraud, sexual-related offences and hate speech.
He told reporters that the Cabinet has set up a special committee involving the Communications Ministry and the Legal Affairs Division under the Prime Minister’s Department to study an Online Safety Act.
“Some of these have to do with the Penal Procedure Code. Some of these have to do with online banking. When we talk about online safety, it is not just for children but also for the elderly, to reduce the incidents of scams and fraud,” he said.
“[The Act] will still take some time but the process is still in place and various engagements with stakeholders [are still ongoing],” he added.
The special committee will convene a task force meeting on May 14, before bringing the relevant issues to the Cabinet, Fahmi said.