The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) says child protection remains central to its mandate after identifying 957 cases involving child-related harmful content between 1 January 2024 and 30 November this year. According to the commission, platforms removed 899 of these cases (a 94% compliance rate) with social media platforms including Tumblr, TikTok and Facebook responding the fastest to takedown requests.
MCMC dismissed recent claims by Parliament’s Special Select Committee that internet safety in Malaysia is at a “very low” level, pointing to its latest enforcement results. During Op Pedo 2.0, carried out from 22 to 30 September, authorities detected more than 880,000 files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which the commission noted is 20 times higher than the 40,000 files uncovered during Op Pedo 1.0 in 2024. The operation also led to 31 arrests across 37 locations, including cases involving educators and foreign nationals.
The commission said Op Pedo 2.0 resulted in the seizure of 82 devices, the opening of 29 investigation papers and 19 charges, with 17 suspects pleading guilty. It added that these outcomes reflect stronger cooperation with police and more proactive investigative approaches. While it disagreed with the Special Select Committee’s assessment, MCMC said that it has taken note of the committee’s findings and appreciates the serious attention given to the issue.
Public-awareness efforts have continued under the Internet Safety Campaign (KIS), which has now reached 8,454 educational institutions nationwide. The rollout of KIS 2.0 in 2026 will prioritise digital-safety literacy for parents, aligning with broader preparations for the Online Safety Act (ONSA) 2025. The act will also introduce a minimum age of 16 for new social media accounts beginning next year.
MCMC reiterated that it remains committed to firm regulation, integrated enforcement and continuous public education as part of its long-term strategy to strengthen online child safety. In line with ONSA 2025, the regulator said it is developing subsidiary instruments to reinforce the obligations of licensed service providers under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, adding that the new framework makes platform accountability clearer through stronger risk-management requirements and preventive measures for high-risk content.
