PETALING JAYA: The Online Safety Act, which came into force on Jan 1, prioritises public awareness and education over punishment, cybersecurity experts say.
To ensure its effectiveness, it is crucial for the government to work with social media platforms and other countries in the region to collate best practices.
They noted that with over eight million social media users in the country, clear guideline is needed to define “harmful content”.
Malaysian Cyber Consumer Association legal bureau head Nazri Yahya said spreading public awareness of the new law is a necessary first step to ensure platform providers, content creators and users understand their obligations.
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He said while the new Act would not undermine freedom of speech, concerns remain over how authorities would determine “harmful content”.
“This assessment can be subjective if not clearly defined,” he reminded, suggesting that the Online Safety Committee issue detailed, practical guidelines setting out examples of online harms.
“Clear guidance would help avoid public confusion and reduce the risk of inconsistent enforcement or abuse of power,” he said.
He also called for the committee to exercise its powers strictly and professionally.
“The ultimate goal should be to ensure the Act functions as a tool to promote a safe and responsible environment, rather than as a mechanism to unreasonably restrict online users or protect particular interests,” he added.
Similar concerns were expressed by Farlina Said, director at the Cyber and Technology Policy programme, at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia.
She raised doubts over the effectiveness of the Act in tackling inappropriate content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), citing the recent controversy involving X’s Grok chatbot, which was blocked in Malaysia between Jan 11-23.
According to Farlina, Grok was temporarily banned due to X’s failure to address repeated violations by the AI chatbot.
“While websites or applications can be restricted, the efficacy of the Act may be limited, as AI is being incorporated across different platforms such as social media,” she said.
She added that Putrajaya could improve the Act by comparing experiences with other governments in the region that have enforced similar cyber laws.
“Not all solutions from our neighbours may be applicable but it could be useful to collate best practices to improve safety in digital spaces,” she added.
Cybersecurity expert Fong Choong Fook said the Act aims to ensure accountability among social media platforms to protect children from harmful content.
“Child safety is clearly at the heart of the Act. It aims to address all forms of harmful content, including self-harm, scams and cyber-bullying. This affects users of all ages,” he said.
He described the Act as a game-changer as it allows the authorities to hold social media platforms accountable despite not having a physical presence in Malaysia.
“This shifts the burden from parents, forcing social media platforms to take responsibility for digital safety,” he added.
The Act, he said, does not undermine privacy or freedom of speech.
“Private chats such as encrypted messages are outside the scope of the Act,” he said.
The law was passed in Parliament in December 2024 and gazetted in May last year.
