KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has stepped up efforts to strengthen online safety and child protection, conducting dozens of engagements with social media platforms and stakeholders as Malaysia moves to enforce stricter digital safety regulations.
The initiative forms part of broader preparations and implementation efforts under the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA), which came into force on Jan 1 this year and places greater responsibility on digital platforms to tackle harmful content and improve user protections.
In a statement today, MCMC said discussions with stakeholders focused on proactive moderation and mitigation measures involving harmful online content, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM), scams, cyberbullying and other online risks.
The commission said the engagements also covered parental control mechanisms, account safeguards and platform accountability measures intended to create safer digital environments, particularly for younger users.
“These efforts contributed towards the enforcement of the Online Safety Act 2025, which strengthens the accountability of platform providers in addressing harmful content and improving user safety in Malaysia,” MCMC said.
The regulator added that ONSA works alongside the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA 1998) in supporting online safety measures, including child protection mechanisms and implementation measures involving users below the age of 16 creating social media accounts.
According to MCMC, the measures are aimed at promoting age-appropriate online experiences for children and teenagers, with greater emphasis placed on parental supervision, responsible platform design and stronger platform safeguards.
To date, MCMC said it has held 37 engagement sessions involving social media platforms, enforcement agencies, third-party verifiers and industry stakeholders.
Of that total, six sessions took place before ONSA came into force, while 31 were conducted after implementation, including engagements under the Regulatory Sandbox initiative that examined age verification readiness and enforcement measures.
Among the more significant engagements were working visits and technical discussions in Singapore involving major platform providers.
The sessions brought together MCMC representatives, the Ministry of Communications, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA), with discussions centring on cybercrime prevention, harmful content moderation and platform accountability.
Following those discussions, MCMC launched its Regulatory Sandbox initiative in January this year to evaluate implementation models for age verification systems involving government agencies, platform providers and ecosystem partners.
The commission said earlier engagement rounds held between November and December last year focused on briefing stakeholders on ONSA subsidiary regulations while gathering industry feedback to ensure implementation measures remained practical and proportionate.
Subsequent discussions under the sandbox initiative shifted towards operational readiness, stakeholder coordination and identifying technical and compliance challenges ahead of implementation.
The push comes as regulators globally intensify scrutiny on how social media platforms protect minors and respond to growing concerns surrounding online exploitation, digital harms and age-appropriate safeguards. – May 26, 2026