THE practice of excessive ‘sharenting’ where countless photos and video of children have been posted on social media by their parents has opened up the space for online crimes and the authorities must act quickly to protect children from irresponsible parties who could misuse the information.
Wanita MCA national chairperson Wong You Fong said there must be serious attention and cooperation across the various government ministries and departments, and all quarters must act quickly to regulate social media platforms and enhance enforcement of security laws to protect children both online and offline.
“Irrespective if the underaged person is either local or non-citizen, equal attention needs to be given by the authorities to expediently step in to apprehend the predators to prevent further preying of children,” she stated.
“More widespread public awareness campaigns and educational programmes are needed to ensure that both parents and children understand the risks they face online.
“We need to emphasise the need for more education and stricter laws to tackle online child sexploitation, especially given how difficult it is to remove harmful content once it is online.”
Wong was responding to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil who on Tuesday (Dec 17) stressed the importance of being cautious about what is shared online, noting that even seemingly innocent posts can make children targets.
She said the proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on social media platforms has reached alarming levels, with disturbing content now easily accessible in Malaysia.
What was once confined to the ‘dark web’ is now openly sold on public forums like social media for as little as RM1, creating an environment where the safety of minors is increasingly at risk.
Speaking at the Communications Ministry’s monthly assembly, Fahmi had also proposed a pledge regarding online safety involving children be introduced by next year at Ministry level which would be an official commitment by the ministry’s staff to raise awareness of online safety. – Dec 18, 2024
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