ONLINE SAFETY ACT 2025 ENSURES SAFER INTERNET

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- The enforcement of the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA 2025), which came into effect on Jan 1, aims to make the internet safer for families and children by clearly defining the responsibilities of online platforms.

Communications Ministry deputy secretary-general (Telecommunications Infrastructure) Mano Verabathran said this follows the increasing use of the internet among families and children, which has also seen a rise in issues such as online scams, cyberbullying and inappropriate content.

“We want a safer digital space, where platforms are accountable, actions against harmful content are more consistent, and users feel more confident when they are online. Our approach is phased and balanced.

“The goal is not to punish, but to prevent harm and build a more trusted digital environment for all Malaysians,” he said when appearing as a guest on a Bernama Radio programme today.

He said children are among the most vulnerable groups in the digital environment. A study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with international and local partners identified more than 100,000 children in Malaysia at risk of online sexual exploitation.

He said enforcement operations by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) have also uncovered hundreds of thousands of files on child sexual abuse, proving the need for a more systematic and comprehensive approach.

“This Act gives parents greater confidence that their children’s safety no longer depends solely on their own monitoring, but is also supported by systems and safeguards at the platform level.

“Through this Act, platforms are required to take earlier preventive steps to reduce risks and protect children before harm occurs,” he said.

On public concerns over surveillance, Mano said ONSA 2025 does not target individuals or private one-to-one communications, but focuses instead on risk management and harmful content by service providers.

He said the Act balances the roles of all parties; platforms must provide more effective safety tools and settings, parents are given clearer guidance, while the public is encouraged to be more aware and report harmful content.

Meanwhile, Mano said the Communications Ministry, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), is studying methods to implement an online age-verification system to protect children, including the ‘age assurance’ approach to determine users’ real ages.

He said the system has already been implemented in Australia since December, following legislation that prohibits children under 16 from using social media, with certain exceptions.

For Malaysia, he said MCMC is studying the use of government-issued identification documents such as identity cards and passports for age verification, apart from proposing that platforms are only allowed to register users aged 16 and above.

He added that the best mechanism is still being reviewed, and further details on its implementation are expected to be announced to the public by mid-year.

-- BERNAMA