News & Reviews:   children

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is intensifying efforts to promote the use of parental control tools as part of its broader Safe Internet Campaign, aimed at encouraging safer digital habits among Malaysian families. The initiative reflects growing concerns over children’s exposure to harmful online content, cyber threats, and excessive screen time as internet usage among younger users continues to rise nationwide.

Recently, Netflix launched Netflix Playground, a mobile app specifically for children aged eight and under. Not only does the app offer a variety of engaging games featuring popular characters such as Sesame Street, Dr Seuss, Peppa Pig and Bad Dinosaurs. That said, what should you know about it?

Like Malaysia, Indonesia has announced a nationwide ban on social media access for children under the age of 16, as part of a broader effort to address growing concerns about online safety. The policy was confirmed by Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid, who said the regulation aims to protect young users from harmful digital environments.

In early January, we reported that MCMC planned to ban under-16s from social media this year. We have another new update today, as news sources report that the government is preparing to implement a minimum age requirement for social media accounts, which is expected to come into effect as early as July 2026, subject to completion of ongoing preparatory work.

A parliamentary select committee on women, children and community development has sharply criticised the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for its “glaring shortcomings” in regulating online gaming and pornography, issues that affect minors and internet users at large. The report, published on 2 December 2025, calls into question both the commission’s financial commitment and its overall capacity to safeguard internet safety.

With the many recent controversies surrounding Roblox, the company is introducing a major update to its safety system: millions of users — especially teens aged 13 and over — will now be prompted to verify their age using a video selfie. The company is working with identity-verification firm Persona to analyse facial features and estimate how old a person is.

Within the span of ten days in October 2025, two cases made shocking news across Malaysia. First was a 16-year-old girl murdered by a schoolmate, followed by a 9-year-old brother who slashed his younger sibling. Both well-known stories have been linked to video games (and other media content), especially the latter on Roblox, and once again, this brought back the classic old question: Do video games make kids violent?

 As we reported before, the Malaysian government is reviewing a proposal to require electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) identity verification for all social media users. According to Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, the move aims to strengthen online safety and accountability as part of Malaysia’s broader digital governance framework.

Recently, the nation was shocked by an incident where a six-year-old child was stabbed by his nine-year-old brother because the older child's smart device was damaged by his younger sibling. Due to this incident, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has issued a statement that they are researching the best mechanism that can be used to regulate online games for children.

Malaysia is moving closer to enforcing stricter rules for social media platforms, requiring them to implement age verification and identity checks for all users. The move, announced by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, aims to protect children online and curb the growing threat of digital scams and harmful content.