KUALA LUMPUR – Social media age restrictions and proposed bans should form only one part of a broader, holistic strategy to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse, Unicef has cautioned.
The UN agency said that while governments are right to prioritise the issue, imposing an age ban on its own will not keep children safe and could create new risks.
“Many children will still find ways to go online, often through less regulated platforms, where it is harder to protect them and they will be less likely to seek help when something goes wrong,” Unicef Malaysia’s deputy representative, Sanja Saranovic, said in a statement.
Unicef also stressed that social media is not merely a leisure activity for many young people, particularly those who are isolated, marginalised or living with disabilities.
“Digital platforms can provide vital opportunities for learning, connection, play and self-expression. Any measure to protect children must, therefore, balance safety with their rights to participation, information and privacy,” it said.
The organisation’s remarks come on the heels of the government’s announcement last month that it plans to prohibit social media use for those under 16 starting next year. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil has said the move stems from a Cabinet directive aimed at curbing cross-age cybercrime and shielding children from online predators.
Unicef urged Malaysia to adopt a comprehensive, child-rights-based framework for online safety, one that includes stronger accountability from social media platforms.
This would require platforms to redesign their products with child safety at the core and to implement systems capable of detecting and blocking known child sexual abuse material.
The agency also called for strengthened regulation and enforcement, alongside greater support for parents, caregivers and schools.
“Invest in social-emotional and digital literacy, and parenting support, so that adults are not left to ‘police algorithms they cannot see’ or monitor dozens of apps by themselves,” the statement read. – December 12, 2025