Public wants digital platforms to be more responsible

There is support for the Online Safety Act as it could make the internet safer, but the public demands strict and effective enforcement.

Members of the public said pre-emptive control makes the internet safer for children.

KUALA LUMPUR:

 The government’s effort to introduce the Online Safety Act (ONSA) 2025 has received positive feedback, particularly from parents who want the internet to be safer for children and teenagers.

Siti Noormaliana Rashid.

ONSA requires digital platform providers to moderate harmful content such as cyberbullying, sexual harassment, and online scams. Those who fail to comply may face action from the government.

Nurse Siti Noormaliana Rashid, 39, said the responsibility should primarily lie with the digital platforms themselves.

Ramesh Rajan.

“Platforms must be responsible for the content they upload. Pre-emptive control makes the internet safer for children,” she told FMT.

Ramesh Rajan, 41, compared the ONSA to age-rating systems in the film industry.

“Like Finas, there are categories for over or under 18. ONSA is more or less the same – platforms review content before publishing,” said the municipal worker.

Tamil Chelvi.

Housewife Tamil Chelvi, 46, said society also needs to monitor and report violations by platform providers.

“After this, social media platforms should be more careful,” said the mother of three.

However, retired civil servant Azweena Ahmad, 46, stressed that the real issue is enforcement, not the law itself.

Azweena Ahmad.

“We already have many laws, but unwanted incidents still occur. Enforcement must be strict and consistent, not just on paper,” she said.

Private-sector worker Mohd Hamidan Rusli, 43, urged the public to support ONSA for the well-being of future generations.

Mohd Hamidan Rusli.

ONSA was introduced by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and passed in December 2024 to strengthen the country’s digital safety governance, ensuring platforms are more accountable for online content.

MCMC is also organising a large-scale Internet Safety Day (HKI) 2026 at Tasik Titiwangsa on Feb 8, aiming to strengthen parents’ role in managing internet use while providing technical teams and experts to help visitors set up safety features on their devices. - FMT