HARISH Gomez has been doing his best to teach his 16-year-old son Ray how to game safely, especially when he plays online with his peers.
The 45-year-old says that while he is happy to share a hobby with his son – something many fathers would appreciate – there is always a lingering worry when it comes to online safety.
“Gaming is not like it was more than a decade ago. Gamers back then did not have to worry about coming across harmful content even if we went online. The risk of encountering suspicious characters or even getting hooked on paying real money for in-game items was low to none,” says Harish, an executive from George Town.
Harish is among many parents today who are concerned about the online dangers their children may face while gaming. Their concerns are significant: According to data compiled by Statista between 2023 and 2025, Malaysia has about five million gamers aged under 20 nationwide.
The large youth gaming population is a key reason the Communi-cations and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) is drafting a Digital Gaming Sub-Code under the national Content Code, aimed at embedding stronger child protection and user safety measures within the country’s rapidly growing gaming ecosystem.
The Sub-Code is expected to introduce guidelines focused on protecting children and vulnerable users from harmful gaming content, risky interactions and predatory monetisation practices such as loot boxes and in-game purchases that can disproportionately affect young players.
Its implementation is expected to apply to both global and local gaming companies, among others.
CMCF says the move follows mounting worries about exposure to inappropriate material, unsafe chat environments, online harassment and exploitative business models. These risks have been highlighted by parents, educators and child-safety advocates, who argue that gaming platforms must do more to shield vulnerable users while still allowing creativity and play to thrive.
To shape the Sub-Code, CMCF recently convened a multi-stakeholder engagement session involving global and local industry players, regulators, civil society groups, child safety experts and gamers.
It stresses that effective safeguards require collaboration across platform design, user support systems and transparent industry practices.
CMCF is also conducting a nationwide public consultation exercise, which includes a survey titled “Have Your Say: Let’s Talk About Online Gaming” that is open until April 1.
Making it safer
Of course, for laymen, the question remains: how exactly will a Sub-Code make gaming safer for children?
CMCF chief executive officer Mediha Mahmood points out that it is expected to set out practical, risk-based guidance tailored to the realities of online gaming.
“The Sub-Code aims to ensure that child protection becomes a default design consideration, supported by tools such as differentiated child accounts, privacy settings, spending alerts and clearer activity reports, alongside education and digital literacy efforts.
“Gaming itself is not the problem. It brings enjoyment, creativity and connection. The concern arises when safeguards are weak or when higher-risk features are not responsibly managed,” she says.
Mediha stresses that a key principle in the Sub-Code is safety-by-design, which encourages protections to be embedded into core mechanics and community features from the outset, rather than added later in response to incidents.
“In practical terms, parents may gradually notice clearer and more usable parental controls, better visibility over spending, stronger safeguards around communication functions, and more thoughtful protections where children encounter higher-risk features.”
CMCF is also examining layered, risk-based age-assurance approaches to move beyond simple self-declaration. International developments, including recent lawsuits involving major platforms, show that child safety in gaming is now a serious global issue.
“Last month, Los Angeles County sued Roblox [Corporation], alleging failures in moderation and age verification [in its online game platform Roblox], with claims that children were exposed to sexual content, exploitation and online predators. Whether or not those claims are ultimately proven, it shows exactly why child safety in gaming is now a live public issue.”
Fun remains
Mediha reiterates that the sole intention of the Sub-Code is to remove avoidable risks from the system.
“The last thing we want to do is to take the fun out of gaming. Players should still feel that the core gameplay experience remains familiar. What should improve is the ecosystem around the player.
“We are adopting a risk-based approach that focuses on higher- risk features such as monetisation systems and open communication functions.”
She says gamers can expect greater transparency in in-game purchases and loot box mechanics, clearer reporting and redress channels, and more consistent moderation standards.
“A common frustration raised by users is that reporting serious harm can feel uncertain or slow. One practical aim is to make reporting systems more accessible, predictable and responsive.”
Moderation will likely involve a combination of technology-assisted monitoring and human review, particularly to address toxic behaviour, grooming and exploitation.
“The emphasis remains on proportionate safeguards that support user wellbeing without undermining creativity or industry growth,” she says.
But industry players often argue that too many rules can slow innovation.
Nevertheless, CMCF says it is proceeding under a self-regulatory and co-regulatory framework within the existing Content Code architecture.
“This avoids creating an entirely new statutory regime while maintaining accountability. Imple-mentation will likely be phased and proportionate, allowing for refinement and industry adjustment.
“Industry participation in drafting is central, because standards must be workable in practice.”
Feedback side quest
How will the voices of parents, teachers and everyday gamers actually shape the Sub-Code?
Mediha says public consultation is a core principle in how CMCF develops policies and standards. Every iteration of the Content Code has involved structured nationwide consultations, industry dialogues and town halls.
“We see ourselves as a neutral convener and honest broker, creating a credible space where industry players, regulators, civil society and affected communities can speak candidly and shape outcomes collectively.
“That role adds value because it moves policy beyond theory into workable standards that reflect operational realities and lived experience.”
She points to an example of CMCF’s work in putting together the Guidelines for Ethical Reporting and Sharing of Suicide-Related Content.
“The need for sharper guidance surfaced during public consultations, where media practitioners, mental health advocates and individuals with lived experience highlighted practical gaps. Those concerns informed clearer provisions within the Content Code and ultimately led to dedicated guidelines.
“The framework evolved directly from stakeholder input, not top-down assumptions.”
On the Gaming Sub-Code multi- stakeholder engagement session, Mediha says early discussions have already surfaced concerns around addictive design, exploitation risks and community conduct.
“These themes are emerging directly from stakeholder conversations and are documented, consolidated and translated into guiding principles before any draft is finalised.
“This kind of exercise matters because policy is strongest when it reflects lived experience, not just technical assumptions.
“Parents, teachers and everyday gamers often see practical risks, frustrations and gaps much earlier than they appear in formal policy discussions.”
To take part in the Gaming Sub-Code nationwide survey, go to surveymonkey.com/r/2CZJWCD.
