KUALA LUMPUR - Restricting access to social media platforms for individuals under the age of 16 has been described as a critical and proactive "digital shield” in addressing cybercrime threats against children in the country.
The move has become increasingly urgent following shocking revelations uncovered in Op Cyber Guardian by the Royal Malaysia Police recently, which led to the discovery of hundreds of thousands of child sexual abuse material files.
The large-scale operation not only resulted in the arrest of 69 individuals, including civil servants, but also saw the seizure of nearly 500,000 files of sexual exploitation, raising serious concerns over the safety and dignity of children in the online space.
To ensure the effectiveness of such restrictions, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia cybersecurity expert Prof Dr Siti Norul Huda Sheikh Abdullah said that age verification systems must be prioritised, as they serve as the first line of defence against the movement of cyber predators.
"Age verification as the first barrier is considered effective as it can prevent predators from directly engaging with children in open social media spaces.
"This gatekeeping mechanism can also make it more difficult for random accounts to operate, thereby reducing early exposure to entry points of cybercrime, including cyber grooming,” she said.
Siti Norul Huda explained that the integration of technologies such as Electronic Know-Your-Customer (e-KYC) and digital identity can minimise the presence of fake accounts, which are often used by perpetrators to conceal their true identities.
She said the use of such systems would also enable authorities and platform providers to detect suspicious activities, including cyber grooming, more quickly.
Siti Norul Huda, who is also chairman of the Cyber Security Academia Malaysia (CSAM), said early prevention through centralised age verification systems such as MyDigital ID is more effective as it can block harmful and toxic interactions at an early stage, compared to taking action after exploitation occurs.
She added that children’s digital safety must be a shared responsibility among service providers, users and authorities.
Siti Norul Huda said enforcement of such systems could strengthen the implementation of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 by providing a stronger digital trail for investigation and prosecution purposes.
She said the measure would help close evidentiary gaps that have often hampered investigations, while enabling the police to trace accounts with verified identities and conduct cyber intelligence operations more strategically.
The initiative, she added, is also in line with international safety standards such as NIST IR 8525 and ISO/IEC 27566-1:2025, which emphasise user privacy protection and data security.
"It also enables the use of methods such as toxic communication detection and behavioural profiling as additional safeguards in identifying cyber grooming activities,” she said.
On March 31, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the government would proceed with efforts to restrict the creation of new social media accounts for children under 16, with implementation expected as early as mid-year.
Earlier, on March 7, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission was studying various age verification methods ahead of enforcing the 16-year age limit for social media use. - BERNAMA