MCMC blocks 400 websites with child sexual abuse content

MCMC says only 12% of parents used parental control services to ensure their children’s safety when they are online. (Reuters pic)

CYBERJAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has blocked more than 400 websites containing child sexual abuse content.

MCMC’s chief compliance officer Zulkarnain Mohd Yassin said these offending websites were blocked between 2015 and last year through collaboration and information-sharing with Interpol and the police.

Zulkarnain said the action was taken under Section 211 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, which prohibits service providers from putting up obscene or offensive content.

“The MCMC worked with eight major telecommunication and internet service providers to make available parental control software at an affordable rate,” he said at the Industry Seminar and Workshop on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse 2019 at the MCMC headquarters here today.

The two-day seminar is jointly organised by MCMC and Unicef.

Zulkarnain said success in ensuring a safe online environment for children depended on collaboration and cooperation with multi-stakeholders.

It also required a comprehensive role and increased media literacy as well as building resilience in a well-regulated environment.

MCMC’s digital literacy department head lvira Shamsuddin said only 12.2% of parents used parental control services to ensure their children’s online safety.

“Other parents choose to check their child’s social media account or browser history, discuss with their children online safety, sit with them when they are using the Internet and set limits on internet usage,” she said.

Elvira said society needed to do more to ensure the safety and well-being of children using the internet. - FMT