BALI: Asean countries must work together to protect children from growing online threats despite differences in their laws and approaches to Internet safety, says Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil.
He said countries in the region share the challenge of keeping the Internet safe for children and needed to strengthen cooperation to address these threats.
“The Internet is good. The Internet can be put to good use but do children know how to use it well?” he said in his keynote address at Bali Tech Week 2026, initiated by Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Ministry yesterday, Bernama reported.
Fahmi said Malaysia wants to ensure that those below the age of 16 are unable to open social media accounts, although approaches to online safety for children could differ between Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and other Asean countries.
Malaysia began enforcing age-verification requirements for social media account registrations on June 1 under the Child Protection Code and Risk Mitigation Code introduced under the Online Safety Act 2025.
Under the new regulations, individuals under the age of 16 are no longer allowed to open any social media accounts, while those who wish to register must submit official identification documents such as MyKad, passport or MyDigital ID to verify their age.
Fahmi also highlighted the challenges posed by social media algorithms, noting that governments have limited understanding of how they operate and influence the content users encountered.
At the forum, he outlined Malaysia’s efforts to improve Internet coverage, speed and affordability while making online access safer, particularly for children.
Highlighting the dangers children face online, Fahmi cited a recent case in which Malaysian police apprehended 53 suspected paedophiles and seized more than half a million files suspected of containing child sexual abuse material.
He described online child protection as a challenge faced by countries across the region.
Fahmi also said that governments need to consider how they shape people’s choices while ensuring individuals have the freedom to make more informed decisions.
Bali Tech Week, themed “Archipelago Ascending: Advance Together, Innovate Further”, is being held from Oct 19 to 23 at the Bali Beach Convention Centre in Sanur, bringing together policymakers, technology leaders, innovators and investors.
Meanwhile, on his social media post, Fahmi said Malaysia and Indonesia have discussed strengthening cooperation in the communications and digital sectors, including social media management, engagement with digital platforms and spectrum reform.
He said the matters were discussed during a meeting with Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Affairs Minister, Meutya Hafid, here.
“Malaysia-Indonesia relations in the communications and digital sectors will continue to strengthen through cooperation that benefits the people of both countries,” he added.
Fahmi said the discussions also covered the role of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and regional digital cooperation.
During the meeting, Fahmi also invited Meutya to attend M360 Asean 2027, which will be held in Malaysia under a multi-year agreement between the Global System for Mobile Communications Association and Malaysia covering 2026 to 2028.
