Children are facing an increasing threat of long-term cyber trauma as cases of online sexual exploitation continue to rise, involving emotional manipulation, blackmail and the repeated circulation of abuse material.
Experts warn that such crimes can leave lasting psychological scars on young victims, affecting their mental health and emotional wellbeing long after the abuse has occurred.
Against this backdrop, the government’s decision to enforce age verification requirements for social media account registrations under the Child Protection Code (CPC) and Risk Mitigation Code (RMC), introduced through the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA), has been welcomed as a timely step towards safeguarding children under the age of 16.
Protect and Save the Children executive director Amnani Abdul Kadir said the measure comes at a critical time, as online grooming, sexual extortion and the live-streaming of child sexual abuse have become increasingly alarming trends.
Speaking to Bernama, he said offenders often use fake identities on social media platforms and online gaming networks to gain the trust of children before exploiting them.
According to Amnani, predators typically study a victim’s behaviour, interests and emotional vulnerabilities before initiating contact through seemingly harmless interactions such as compliments, emotional support or offers of friendship.
He revealed that earlier this year, the organisation handled a case involving a child who was allegedly exploited by their own caregiver, who manipulated and forced the victim into producing sexual content for live-streaming purposes.
“Many children do not realise they are being exploited because the psychological manipulation happens gradually over time,” he said.
“The emotional impact can be devastating, especially when abuse material is recorded and repeatedly shared online, resulting in prolonged trauma for the victim.”
Amnani pointed to the seizure of nearly 500,000 Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) files during Ops Cyber Guardian in April as evidence of the growing severity of cyber exploitation involving children in Malaysia.
He added that the figure may represent only a fraction of the actual problem, noting that global data from the Internet Watch Foundation recorded more than 312,000 CSAM reports acted upon last year, with such material being identified online every 101 seconds on average.
While supporting the government’s minimum age requirement of 16 for opening social media accounts, Amnani stressed that regulation alone is not enough.
He said children, parents and educators must also be empowered with the knowledge and skills needed to identify online risks and navigate digital spaces safely.
Among the measures he proposed are stronger age-verification systems, stricter laws, greater accountability for technology companies through a “safety by design” approach and expanded cyber safety education in schools.
Meanwhile, Children’s Protection Society (CPS) Malaysia vice-chairperson Nawiza Ariff described the age restriction as a positive first step but cautioned that it should not be viewed as a complete solution.
She noted that tech-savvy youngsters can often bypass age-based restrictions with relative ease.
Nawiza said parents must move beyond simply monitoring screen time and instead develop a deeper understanding of their children’s digital behaviour, online risks, privacy settings, gaming platform communications and early signs of emotional distress.
She stressed that protecting children online requires a comprehensive strategy involving strong legislation, responsible technology companies, cyber safety education in schools and sustained public awareness campaigns.
“Most importantly, we must create a safe environment where children feel comfortable speaking up without fear, shame or concern that they will be punished,” she said.
“Protecting children in cyberspace is no longer optional. It is a responsibility shared by everyone.”
Malaysia officially began enforcing mandatory age verification requirements for social media account registrations yesterday. Under the new rules, individuals seeking to open accounts must provide government-issued identification documents such as a MyKad, passport or MyDigital ID to verify their age.
The requirement applies to licensed social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, with the aim of preventing children under the age of 16 from creating accounts on those services.
