KUALA LUMPUR – Cybersecurity experts have lauded the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for introducing a timely regulatory framework aimed at ensuring safer internet usage, which includes requiring major social media platforms to be licensed.
However, Datuk Husin Jazri believes that Malaysia needs to do more than just licensing social media platforms to ensure online safety, particularly when it comes to combating cybercrimes that target children.
While acknowledging that regulating major social media platforms is a necessary step to curb scams, cyberbullying, and child grooming, Husin said its effectiveness is yet to be seen, as content creators can operate from anywhere, including beyond Malaysia’s borders.
“Unfortunately, Malaysia needs more than reactive measures to address cybercrimes and data breaches.
“What we need is the formation of a dedicated new commission and a revision of laws to address scams, cyberbullying, child grooming, and data privacy breaches from proactive and educative perspectives.
“Once citizens become victims, it is often too late, and containing the damage is painfully slow, making it a losing battle for many victims.
“Proactive and educative approaches should be integrated into our formal and informal education systems and customer cyber safety awareness programmes in a more consistent and measurable manner,” the Taylor’s University Global Centre for Cyber Safety School of Computer Science director told Scoop today.
With the lack of licensing requirements previously, major social media platforms could operate with little or no restriction, some not even having executive offices in Malaysia or paying taxes in the country.
Meanwhile, Professor Dr Mohamed Ridza Wahiddin praised and supported MCMC’s move, saying that all stakeholders, especially social media platforms, should contribute to a safer and more conducive internet.
“Social media service providers should be especially vigilant to ensure children and families are protected from cyber threats.
“One way is through the licensing act proposed by MCMC, which I support.
“However, the onus is on the service providers to make it harder for cyber criminals to exploit their victims,” said the founder and patron of the International Islamic University Malaysia’s Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security.
Earlier today, the MCMC announced that it will introduce a safer internet regulatory framework for children and families on August 1, which will come into force on January 1 next year.
This includes requiring all major social media platforms offering services in the country to hold a licence, following a spate of online scams, cyberbullying cases, and other offences.
The new framework aligns with the government’s decision to combat the rising trend of cybercrime offences, including online fraud, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes against children.
On July 24, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said social media platform X has recorded the lowest compliance rate with Putrajaya’s requests for action against harmful online content, said
Fahmi said the platform owned by Elon Musk came “last in class” with a compliance rate of merely 25% despite the government, through the MCMC, raising concerns on issues such as cyberbullying and pornographic content.
Both TikTok and Telegram also marked under 79% compliance, with the two platforms recording 76% and 65%, respectively.
Meanwhile, Fahmi said platforms operated by Meta had been the most responsive to the MCMC’s calls for their content to abide by local laws, with Instagram achieving the highest compliance rate at 88% followed by Facebook (85%) and WhatsApp (79%). – July 27, 2024