Social media age verification rules welcomed amid rise in child cyber exploitation

 

CHILD protection advocates have welcomed Malaysia’s new minimum age requirement for social media account registration, describing it as a timely step to help protect children from growing online threats, including grooming, sextortion and child sexual exploitation.

The age verification requirement, enforced under the Child Protection Code (CPC) and Risk Mitigation Code (RMC) pursuant to the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA), came into effect yesterday.

Under the new regulations, individuals under the age of 16 are no longer permitted to open social media accounts.

Protect and Save the Children executive director Amnani Abdul Kadir said the measure was necessary given the increasing prevalence of online sexual exploitation involving emotional manipulation, threats and the circulation of abusive content.

She said cybercriminals often use fake identities on social media platforms and online games to gain the trust of children before exploiting them.

“Predators typically study a child’s behaviour, interests and emotional vulnerabilities before initiating contact through seemingly harmless interactions such as praise, friendship or emotional support.

“Many children are unaware they are being exploited because the manipulation occurs gradually. The emotional impact can be severe, particularly when abusive material is recorded and repeatedly shared online, causing long-term trauma,” she told Bernama.

Amnani revealed that her organisation handled a case in February involving a child allegedly exploited by her own guardian, who manipulated and forced the victim to produce sexual content for live streaming purposes.

She also pointed to the seizure of nearly 500,000 Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) files during Ops Cyber Guardian in April as evidence of the growing scale of online child exploitation in Malaysia.

According to Amnani, the actual number of cases could be significantly higher. She noted that the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) recorded more than 312,000 reports of CSAM last year, with new material appearing online on average every 101 seconds.

While supporting the government’s decision to set the minimum age for social media accounts at 16, Amnani said age restrictions alone would not be sufficient without broader efforts to strengthen digital literacy and online safety awareness.

She called for stronger age verification systems, enhanced cyber safety education in schools and greater accountability among technology companies through a “safety by design” approach.

Meanwhile, Children’s Protection Society Malaysia vice-chairperson Nawiza Ariff described the restriction as a positive first step but cautioned that technologically savvy children could still find ways to circumvent age-based controls.

She said parents must move beyond simply monitoring screen time and instead develop a better understanding of children’s online behaviour, privacy settings, gaming platforms and digital communication features.

“Protecting children online requires a holistic approach involving effective legislation, stronger accountability from technology companies, cyber safety education in schools and sustained public awareness efforts.

“Most importantly, we must create an environment where children feel safe speaking up without fear, shame or punishment. Protecting children online is no longer optional. It is a shared national responsibility,” she said.

Under the new regulations, individuals registering for social media accounts must provide government-issued identification documents such as a MyKad, passport or MyDigital ID for age verification.

The requirement applies to licensed social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. ‒  Focus Malaysia