KUALA LUMPUR – Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) is no longer a hidden crime confined to the digital shadows. Experts warn its psychological scars can haunt victims well into adulthood, disrupting identity and emotional well-being.
The Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA), which came into force yesterday, marks a turning point. For the first time, digital platform providers are legally accountable for preventing exploitation — a burden once shouldered almost entirely by victims and parents.
Universiti Putra Malaysia senior lecturer Dr Nellie Ismail hailed ONSA as a crucial weapon against exploitative content. “While parents remain the first line of defence, structured support like ONSA is essential. Preventing exploitation can no longer rest solely with users; it must be shared by platforms that control content flow,” she told Bernama.
Dr Nellie stressed that children, due to their cognitive and emotional immaturity, are especially vulnerable. “Placing the burden solely on children or parents is unrealistic and risky,” she said, warning of grooming risks when emotional needs go unmet and supervision lapses.
She urged platforms to embed prevention into their DNA — from ethical algorithm monitoring to swift response protocols. “Truly safe platforms must incorporate early prevention strategies, ethical algorithm monitoring, swift response protocols, and clear support pathways,” she explained.
Data underscores the urgency. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) removed more than 82,000 obscene or abusive posts between 2022 and July 2025, including 957 involving children last year alone.
ONSA now compels licensed service providers — from messaging apps to social media giants — to act against CSAM, pornography, incest, and self-harm content.
MCMC deputy managing director Eneng Faridah Iskandar reinforced the mandate: “Platforms can no longer rely solely on user reports; they must take a proactive stance by identifying and removing harmful content, including sexual exploitation and online predators.”
Parents, meanwhile, welcome the law. Nor Zulkarnain Md Nor Isa, father of two teens, admitted: “While we can control screen time, we cannot fully control what algorithms hide behind features like ‘FYP’, ‘For You’ or ‘Trending’. Harmful content can reach our children before we even have the chance to block it.”
Kindergarten teacher Nurul Adlina Azureen Suhaimi echoed the call for prevention at source. “I hope platforms will analyse content before it is uploaded, allowing early prevention to take place. This responsibility should lie with the platforms, not after a child has already fallen victim to harmful content,” she said. – January 2, 2026