KUALA LUMPUR — The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, was briefed today on the Online Safety Act (ONSA) 2025 by Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
The audience was held at Istana Bukit Tunku, here, according to a post on Sultan Ibrahim’s Facebook page.
During the audience, Fahmi explained the Act’s role in making the internet safer for children and families by placing clear responsibilities on online social media platforms.
The minister also explained how the Act facilitates mechanisms for age verification to prevent children under the age of 16 from opening social media accounts, Sultan Ibrahim’s post said.
ONSA will also help in curbing fake accounts that post content targeting the Malay Rulers and royalty, Fahmi had told Sultan Ibrahim.
ONSA came into force on January 1 to combat harmful online content and enhance online safety in Malaysia. The law was drafted against a backdrop of concerns over increase in cyberbullying and use of artificial intelligence (AI) to disseminate misinformation without individuals’ consent.
The law requires licensed applications service providers (ASPs) that now includes internet messaging and social media providers, with at least eight million users, to register as licensees, making the subject to obligations under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
As licensees, they must, among others, implement measures to mitigate the risk of exposure to harmful content, enable users to manage online safety, have available mechanisms for reporting harmful content and protect online safety of child users.
ONSA applies only to platform providers and not individual users. Non-compliance can make providers liable to penalties of up to RM10,000,000. – March 30, 2026