Malaysia passes online safety bill looking to protect children under 13

Malaysia has passed a bill that requires social media platform providers to comply with three main responsibilities, namely ensuring platform safety, protecting children under the age of 13 and restricting access to harmful content. 

Known as the Online Safety Bill, the bill was passed with 77 MPs voting in favour of it, while 55 MPs voted against and 90 MPs were absent during the vote. According to The Star, politician Ahmad Fadhli Shaarin called for a bloc vote, with 15 MPs supporting the motion. Meanwhile, the minister in prime minister's department of law and institutional reforms Seri Azalina clarified that the bill will govern platforms to be licensed from 1 January 2025 and not the general public.

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So far, eight companies and two service providers such as Meta which governs Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp; ByteDance for TikTok, X for Twitter, Telegram, Tencent for WeChat and Google for the YouTube platforms, said Azalina. She reportedly added that millions of users on these platforms and systems operate at fast speeds and that there is a need for platforms to have specific duties and responsibilities, making the law a necessity in ensuring online safety. 

Azalina also said that the bill prioritises freedom of speech and described the communications and media act as the "big brother" and the amendment bill as the "little brother". The minister reportedly compared that bill to a car with safety measures too, stating that platforms must also have necessary safety measures. 

While addressing concerns about a lack of consultations and the bill being rushed, Azalina reportedly dismissed the notions. She said that there were sufficient engagements, and that NGOs will never be pleased no matter what the government does. 

She added that the government will not compromise if the laws are beneficial for the people. 

The online safety bill has been long in the making. Earlier in April this year, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said that social media giants Meta and TikTok have pledged their commitment to ensure online safety measures for children under the age of 13. Other elements touched upon included the monitoring of content such as online gambling, scams, fake news and the 3R's (race, religion and royalty). 

In July, the minister made a trip to Singapore to meet with various platforms where he said Meta, Google, TikTok and Tencent responded positively to the need for licensing under the new regulatory framework. However, just last month, Meta said it has not yet decided whether or not to apply for a social media license in Malaysia, due to a lack of clarity over the new regulations, Meta's director of public policy for SEA Rafael Frankel reportedly said. 

In an interview with Reuters, Frankel expressed that the timeline to apply for a license was "exceptionally accelerated", and the obligations for social media firms under the plan remained unclear. This is especially since regulations tend to take a couple years to go through multiple iterations, to properly structure them, and to balance the need for safety that don't "inadvertently cap innovation and digital economic growth", Frankel reportedly said. 

In addition, Frankel said Meta does not need a licensing regime to take online safely seriously as it already shares the Malaysian government's goal for a safe online environment.

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