Addressing Online Teen Safety in Malaysia: Current Solutions and The Way Forward

Prepared by Ian Lim

10 February 2026

The social media ban for Malaysian kids under the age of 16 is set to be fully implemented nationwide later this year. The ban, alongside the Online Safety Act and outreach programmes, is among some of the initiatives put in place since December 2024 in response to the rising social dangers in the digital space, such as cyberbullying, scams, and paedophilia. Addressing online teen safety is imperative as exposure to harmful online content can negatively affect teens’ behaviour. That said, existing measures are not always sufficient in addressing online teen safety in digital spaces, despite having good intentions.

Government Legislations and Bans

Malaysia has recently introduced a social media ban for youths under the age of 16, following the lead of Australia, and is set to be fully realised by mid-2026.  The ban has received mixed reactions, with many youths disagreeing with the proposal. They argue that the pros of social media outweigh the cons, as many use social media for personal growth, connections and educational purposes. Additionally, many young people are aware of the risks when interacting with the Internet and while they agree certain protection measures should be enforced, a complete ban, however, will dismiss and silence their views. In fact, the National Parents-Teacher Associations Consultative Council has cautioned against solely blaming social media for the spread of immoral behaviour.

An article published by the University of Birmingham reinforces this argument as it states that these bans have yet to be proven effective, as it does not assist the youth in long-term healthy interactions within digital spaces and prepare them for a technology-filled world. The article also champions measures respecting a child’s rights when addressing online teen safety, in addition to promoting digital literacy and healthy technology use, with the participation of schools and parents.

Rather than blanket bans, the government must consider focusing on regulating social media platforms and raising digital literacy when addressing online teen safety. This then begs the question, what has the government done in engaging with and regulating social media platforms?

Social Media Platforms Engagements and Regulations

Social media companies have been under intense scrutiny over the past few years as cyberbullying and harmful content on their respective platforms are on the rise. To address online teen safety, the government has engaged with and regulated social media companies.

As of September 2025, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has filed requests with service providers to remove fraudulent and bullying content, with a success rate of 95% and 77% respectively.

Next, laws regulating social media platforms were also enacted. The Online Safety Act (ONSA), which was tabled in December 2024  and has taken effect at the start of 2026 . The Act mandates social media platforms to protect the public from harmful content online. That said, MCMC being the sole regulator while being supported by a committee  has garnered intense criticism, especially from civil society groups.  In a joint statement, Amnesty International, alongside Online Safety Advocacy Group (OSAG), pointed out the lack of independent oversight, as MCMC is designated as the primary and sole regulator under the act; and infringement of freedom of speech and expression, due to vague listings of the different types of “harmful content”; just to name a few.

In addition to that, the Malaysian government has also temporarily banned Grok, Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence model, as X users can create non-consensual, sexually explicit images of people, including children, using Grok.  However, users are able to bypass the ban using VPN (virtual private network) and DNS (domain name system), with Grok even giving bypassing suggestions.  Another complexity with this ban is the ubiquity of the technology as it exists in multiple platforms, such as its standalone app, website, and incorporation into X.

Despite its flaws, the blanket ban signals a shift in responsibility away from individual users and toward systemic problems in the technology’s design, which is crucial when addressing online teen safety, as individual effort alone is insufficient. The government must pressure these companies to address systemic flaws in their technology and services, which is exemplified when the MCMC ordered X to establish safety measures that comply with the law. Should the government continue to hold these social media companies accountable, social media platforms will be inherently safer.

Another attempt by the Malaysian government to ensure social media companies abide by Malaysia’s legal and regulatory framework is the introduction of the Application Service Provider Class License ASP(C), at the start of 2025. As of 1 January 2026, companies operating social media platforms with a user base of at least eight million Malaysians are automatically registered as ASP(C) Class License holders, which includes WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. X, formerly known as Twitter, on the other hand, is not legally required to do so as it has not reached the required threshold. That said, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will assess whether these platforms, including X, necessitate a license under the ASP(C) framework.

In short, the Malaysian government has increased social media platform engagements and regulations, but effective governance requires more transparency, a firmer emphasis on human rights, and consistent compliance from social media companies, to ensure an inherently safer online landscape, especially for the youths. 

Raising Digital Literacy and Awareness

Raising digital literacy and awareness among the youth is another important piece to the puzzle as it encourages the youth to think critically, discern and make rational decisions for their own and others’ safety in the digital world. Additionally, digital literacy, alongside character building, serves as another important vanguard against harmful online behavior when laws, bureaucracy, and regulations have yet to keep up with the ever-changing digital landscape. 

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has launched the Safe Internet Campaign (KIS), which aims to raise public awareness, especially among the youth, regarding digital security issues such as cyberbullying, paedophilia, and scams by increasing digital literacy and creating a more positive digital landscape. The campaign has been a success as the government has recently surpassed its target of 8,000 schools and educational institutions in late November of 2025, and will be continuing this campaign this year as seen in the 2026 Budget.

Another instance that showcases government efforts in increasing digital literacy is the #ThinkTwice Parental Advisory. The parental advisory, which is part of TikTok’s #ThinkTwice digital literacy campaign, is also an initiative with regulatory bodies such as the MCMC and the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum). This initiative aims to equip guardians with practical measures to ensure online teen safety, since guardians are one of the primary agents of socialisation who can guide their children in online interactions.

Meanwhile, SERI is also committed to improving digital literacy and promoting safer digital spaces through its Tech and Trust advocacy initiative. Under this initiative, SERI launched “Bait Baik” in collaboration with Arus Academy and TikTok Malaysia, a programme that uses a card game to facilitate conversations, between adults and youth, about how to be responsible online users. 

Ultimately, increased incorporation of character building within the education syllabus and system, and greater parental involvement is needed to cultivate stronger characters with positive online behaviors among teens.

Conclusion 

Initiatives and efforts since December 2024 showcases the government’s strong desire in establishing a safer digital environment, especially towards the youth. That said, more can be done, be it from the aspect of laws, social media company regulations, and digital literacy. 

While these measures may draw criticism due to its vulnerability and inefficacy, they are all equally important and should not be completely dismissed; just like the Swiss cheese model – one measure’s weakness is mitigated by another measure. In fact, online teen safety requires cooperation among social media companies, the government, parents, and schools, and other relevant stakeholders to create a safer digital environment.

References :

[1]  Iacovcich, S. (2025, November 24). Malaysia “plans social media ban” for under-16s from next year. National Technology News; Perspective Publishing. https://nationaltechnology.co.uk/Malaysia_plans_social_m,edia_ban_for_from_next_year.php 

[2]  Power, J. (2026, January 12). Malaysia blocks Grok amid uproar over nonconsensual sexualised images. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/12/malaysia-blocks-musks-grok-amid-uproar-over-non-consensual-sexual-images 

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[4] Goodyear, V. A., James, C., Orben, A., Quennerstedt, M., Schwartz, G., & Pallan, M. (2025). Approaches to children’s smartphone and social media use must go beyond bans. BMJ, 388. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2024-082569

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[7]  BERNAMA. (2026, January 1). ONSA Faq Unveils Stricter Safety Guidelines, Streamlined Reporting Of Harmful Content. BERNAMA. https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=2507843 

[8]Bernama. (2025, November 25). MCMC Remains Sole Regulator Under Online Safety Act 2025 - Azalina. BERNAMA. https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=2495227 

[9] Passage of the Online Safety Bill a grave blow to freedom of expression. (2024, December 12). Amnesty Malaysia. https://www.amnesty.my/2024/12/12/online-safety-bill/ 

[10] Chia, O. (2026, January 12). Grok AI: Malaysia and Indonesia block X chatbot over sexually explicit deepfakes. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7y10xm4x2o 

[11] Ratcliffe, R. (2026, January 18). “Still here!”: X’s Grok AI tool accessible in Malaysia and Indonesia despite ban. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jan/18/grok-x-ai-tool-still-accessible-malaysia-despite-ban-vpns 

[12] Aqilah Norman, I. (2026, January 16). Grok AI misuse: Victims in Indonesia, Malaysia “angry” and “humiliated”, but is banning the tool enough? CNA. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/grok-ai-ban-indonesia-malaysia-victims-explicit-ai-images-southeast-asia-bikini-sexualised-5863151 

[13] BERNAMA. (2025, December 15). Messaging, Social Media Platforms With 8 Million Users Deemed Licensed From 2026 - MCMC. BERNAMA. https://www.bernama.com/en/news.php/general/news.php?id=2502828 

[14] WeChat, TikTok and Telegram licensed under Malaysia’s online services framework. (2025, September 10). The Vibes. https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/112599/wechat-tiktok-and-telegram-licensed-under-malaysias-online-services-framework 

[15] Bernama. (2025, November 24). Safe internet campaign surpasses 2025 target, says Fahmi. The Edge Malaysia. https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/782436

[16] Budget Touchpoints 2026. (n.d.). In Ministry of Finance. https://www.investmalaysia.gov.my/media/masod55b/ministry-of-finance-budget-2026-touchpoints.pdf 

[17] FMT Reporters. (2025, November 21). TikTok’s #ThinkTwice Parental Advisory promotes digital youth wellbeing. Free Malaysia Today | FMT; Free Malaysia Today. https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2025/11/21/tiktoks-thinktwice-parental-advisory-promotes-digital-youth-wellbeing