MCMC Looking Into More Protection For Children On Social Media

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) deputy minister Teo Nie Ching has revealed that the government is looking to collaborate with social media platforms to exert more control over what children see on social media.

When contacted by The Star, Teo stated that the biggest issue surrounding social media for children is that there is no real age verification on social media, meaning that anyone can just put themselves to be whatever age they want.

To find a working solution for this issue, Teo revealed that MCMC has already had a series of meetings with platform providers such as Meta and Tiktok to discuss ways to tackle the issue of social media ownership among children under 13.

Although currently most social media platforms do not allow children under the age of 13 open an account, the aforementioned lack of age verification means that there is no enforcement of this condition.

As a mother herself, Teo says that ensuring the safety of children under 13 in the online space is a topic that is very close to her, and a top priority.

MCMC working to help Malaysians protect themselves on the internet.

So far, MCMC has introduced the ‘Klik Dengan Bijak’ (KDB) Programme to educate and raise awareness among all users, including parents and guardians, about safe and positive use of the Internet.

The KDB campaign so far has involved a website, a Youtube channel, and social media pages filled with resources on several topics to help users better protect themselves when using the internet.

Adding to that, there are also other provisions under the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia’s (CMCF) Content Code which advises on content suitable for a children’s viewing.

During her talk with The Star, Teo also imparted some advice for parents, saying that parents should lead by example with their children, and actively set boundaries when it comes to social media with their children.