Hartini Zainudin of Yayasan Chow Kit and psychologist Joel Low say the high number of cases of cyberbullying, grooming and harmful content show that existing measures are failing.
An activist who works with marginalised children and a psychologist pointed out that such risks are no longer isolated incidents.
They agree that there is now a broader pattern showing that existing safeguards are struggling to keep pace with how digital platforms operate.
Hartini Zainudin, the founder of Yayasan Chow Kit, said the figures reflect not just the prevalence of harm but also a deeper structural issue.
“We know the scale (of the problem), but we are failing to prevent the harm (it causes). We are just reacting after the damage is done. We always do this,” she told FMT.
However, she disagreed with enforcing a social media ban for those under 16, saying a multi-pronged approach to tackling the issue is better than a blanket prohibition.
Data from the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) shows that between Jan 1 and Nov 1, 2024, a total of 8,399 complaints of cyberbullying were reported, accounting for 27 cases a day.
Separately, Bernama has reported that between Jan 1, 2022 and Feb 15, 2026, a total of 1,578 requests were made to remove extremely offensive content involving children, with 96% successfully taken down.
In December last year, Australia put in place a nationwide ban on social media access to those aged below 16, making it the first country to take this step to prevent children from exposure to harm on social media.
Measures to require social media platforms to bar under-16s from opening accounts are expected to be implemented in Malaysia in the second half of 2026.
Hartini said weak safeguards and poor accountability mean children, especially those from vulnerable backgrounds, are exposed to amplified risks.
“The issue isn’t just that children are online. It’s what they’re exposed to and how platforms are designed,” she said, adding that while social media can provide connection and support, “the environment (in which they operate also) matters”.
Joel Low of the Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology said the psychological impact of such exposure is already evident among young users.
“The spread and wide access that social media provides is overwhelming to most adults, let alone for children and younger teens,” he told FMT.
“They then have the whole world to compare themselves with, and to judge themselves against. All of that will have a bad impact on a person’s psyche, self-esteem and sense of self.”
Despite these risks, experts say current approaches — including awareness campaigns, parental monitoring and platform reporting tools — remain largely reactive.
“Reporting happens after harm,” Hartini said. “Awareness alone isn’t enough. We’re placing too much responsibility on children and parents, and not enough on the system.”
She stressed that platforms are designed to maximise engagement, not safety.
“If children are being harmed at scale, that’s a system failure,” she said.
Low agreed that the scale and nature of the internet make it difficult to fully control harmful interactions once exposure has already occurred.
“I don’t think we’ll ever truly be able to ‘police’ it successfully,” he said, noting that the large number of reported cases reflects how widespread the problem has become.
In response to these growing risks, the government’s proposal to delay independent social media access until 16 is increasingly being framed as a preventive measure rather than a punitive one.
Low described the move as a step in the right direction.
“I think this policy is a good reminder to everyone — children and adults — that there is inherent danger.”
For families, the message is clear: the conversation is moving towards prevention and is becoming central to child protection in an increasingly complex digital landscape. - FMT
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