Kuala lumpur: The Malaysia Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) has emphasized the necessity of coupling the age verification mechanism, introduced under the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA), with comprehensive digital education. This initiative aims to ensure that users, particularly young individuals, are well-informed about the potential risks and challenges in the digital landscape.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, MCCA President Siraj Jalil expressed the association's support for the government's decision to implement the mechanism to prevent underage children from creating social media accounts. However, he stressed the importance of supplementing this measure with extensive explanations and engagement activities. Siraj highlighted the long-standing issue of age falsification on social media platforms and noted the lack of effective methods to counter this problem until now.
The new age verification method, set to take effect on June 1, mandates users to upload official government-issued documents for age verification. This is part of the implementation of two new codes under the ONSA, namely the Child Protection Code (CPC) and the Risk Mitigation Code (RMC), designed to prevent individuals under 16 from accessing social media platforms.
Siraj advocated for the government to conduct phased dialogue sessions at various societal levels to ensure public understanding of the policy's rationale and to prevent misconceptions. He underscored the importance of early education on safe internet and social media usage, which he believes is crucial for nurturing responsible digital users.
He also urged parents to serve as informal educators by enhancing their own cybersecurity knowledge to effectively guide their children in navigating digital technology. Siraj emphasized the critical role of parental readiness in applying basic safety practices to protect children online. He called for improved government communication channels to build a comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity among parents.
The implementation of these measures reflects a significant step towards safeguarding young users online, aligning with the broader goals of the Online Safety Act 2025.