PETALING JAYA: Within just the first half of this year, there were about 440,000 reports on Artificial intelligence (AI)-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
This was over a 6,000% increase from just 7,000 reports last year, according to global reports.
The numbers are telling, and online risk is becoming more complicated especially with technology-facilitated exploitation.
Unicef chief of Child Online Protection Saskia Blume (pic) told The Star one of the biggest concerns is when offenders use unassuming communications platforms, like those within online games or on social media platforms, to approach children.
“Once trust is built, usually through flattery, they then move the conversations into more private, unsupervised spaces that often cross into the ‘offline’ world.
“The offenders here may be adults looking to exploit children, or it may also involve someone from their own age group, which is often the case with cyberbullying.”
She added that AI-driven algorithms are exposing children to harmful or hateful content, which are often pushed to them as short form content on popular social media platforms.
This shows just how quickly new technologies can be misused if safety and responsibility is not incorporated from the start, she said.
“With how easy it is for children to be on social media and have an online presence, conflicts in real life can quickly move from classrooms to online group chats. This is especially concerning, as the harm doesn’t ‘switch off’ when school ends, and children may feel alone and trapped when being harassed online.
“For young people who are still figuring out their values and identity, this can have a serious impact on how they view the world in later life,” she said.
Commenting on Malaysia’s Online Safety Act (ONSA) 2025, Blume said it is an important step forward for Malaysia in ensuring clearer responsibilities of digital service providers in their obligations, especially in minimising access to harmful content on their services, such as CSAM.
The Act is a new Malaysian law that imposes a duty of care on online service providers to create a safer digital environment with a strong emphasis on protecting children and removing harmful content.
“The Act signals a shift towards safety-by-design: taking some steps in building safety into platforms from the start rather than reacting only after harm has already happened,” she said.
“But laws alone won’t solve everything. The impact will depend on effective implementation, good coordination across agencies, and ensuring that children, parents and educators know their rights and the support available.”
She added that Unicef welcomes Malaysia’s step and stands ready to support and ensure the Act delivers real protection for children, not just on paper.
Additionally, Blume pointed out that keeping children safe online is a shared responsibility that includes family and schools, as no single actor can do it alone.
This needs clear duties for platforms that are designed with children in mind, strong enforcement, and coordinated responses across welfare, law enforcement, and education, she said.
“Another important aspect is when harm does occur, children must be able to access help quickly and safely. This requires child-friendly reporting channels, helplines, counselling services, and responses that are timely, confidential and sensitive to children’s needs.”
She added that from a policy standpoint, governments can lead by embedding online safety into broader child protection frameworks, as Malaysia is doing with the Online Safety Act and the National Child Policy Action Plan.
