M’sia’s Online Safety Rules Require Phased Roll Out, Cooperation From Platforms - Expert

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- Online safety regulation must be implemented in phases and backed by strong institutional safeguards to protect users while ensuring cooperation from digital platforms, said Cybersecurity Research Centre (CYRES) director Prof Dr Selvakumar Manickam.

He said lessons from countries that have already introduced online safety laws showed that regulation cannot rely solely on the government but must involve civil society, parents and educators.

“It has to involve civil society. It has to involve the parents. It has to inform teachers and the fact that this cannot be done in one shot,” he said during an interview on Bernama TV’s Bernama World programme titled "Online Safety in Focus: Understanding Malaysia’s ONSA 2025" today.

Selvakumar said a layered strategy should be adopted, prioritising high-impact platforms before gradually expanding obligations.

“There has to be a phased approach… categorise different social media platforms based on their impact,” he said, adding that platforms with smaller local presence should face lighter compliance requirements.

He noted that enforcement complexity stems from the rapidly evolving nature of online harms, including scams, AI-driven misinformation and child exploitation.

In balancing regulation with freedom of speech, Selvakumar stressed the need for transparency and independent oversight, proposing the establishment of an independent online safety body that involves civil society and academic experts.

“First of all, it is transparency. The government should publish reports showing why content has been removed … why, and what's the impact on Malaysians?

“We need to have an online safety Appeal Tribunal. This gives both our users and platforms a very fair way to challenge decisions,” he said.

While the government has already established an Online Safety Committee under the Online Safety Act (ONSA) to provide strategic guidance on online safety issues, chaired by Tan Sri Hasnah Mohammed Hashim, Selvakumar said there remains a need to strengthen independent oversight mechanisms, particularly in ensuring transparency and fair avenues for appeal involving users and platforms.

On whether major global platforms would comply, Selvakumar said Malaysia was taking a pragmatic approach by engaging them through a regulatory sandbox rather than imposing immediate punishment.

“The Act has been in effect since 1st January 2026, but we are not punishing the social media platform as of now. We want to work with them,” he said.

Touching on cross-border digital crimes, Selvakumar noted that regional coordination was critical given the borderless nature of online platforms.

He linked Malaysia’s ASEAN leadership to stronger data-sharing and collective response mechanisms under the regional cybersecurity framework.

“As the Internet is a globalised, borderless platform ... so there has to be collaboration, joint effort between countries. At least at the ASEAN level, we can share data and collaborate.

“I think we can address many of the issues when it comes to scams and fraud in this region,” he added.

Bernama previously reported that a regulatory sandbox is being conducted to test governance mechanisms for social media platforms, aimed at ensuring regulation is implemented in an orderly and effective manner without stifling innovation.

-- BERNAMA