Malaysia Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA): Difference between revisions
m Corrected background references. | I've never done this before, copy-pasted "reference" tags will need to be manually de-duplicated and properly reused. |
m More citations, add some citationNeeded |
||
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
|Description=Malaysian law requiring platforms with 8M+ users to remove harmful content. Critics cite censorship concerns; government says it targets platforms, no | |Description=Malaysian law requiring platforms with 8M+ users to remove harmful content. Critics cite censorship concerns; government says it targets platforms, no | ||
}} | }} | ||
The '''Online Safety Act 2025''' ('''Act 866''') is Malaysian legislation that came into force on January 1, 2026, requiring social media and messaging platforms with over 8 million Malaysian users to remove harmful content and implement safety measures.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2026-01-02 |title=Online Safety Act comes into force to protect users |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2026/01/02/online-safety-act-comes-into-force-to-protect-users |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/baPUk |archive-date=2026-02-11 |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=The Star}}</ref> The Act targets nine categories of harmful content including child sexual abuse material and financial fraud, with platforms facing fines up to RM10 million for non-compliance. <ref name=":0" /> Civil society groups have raised concerns about potential censorship and surveillance, while the government maintains the Act targets platform accountability rather than individual users.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last= |title=Malaysia: Concerns with the Online Safety Bill 2024 |url=https://www.article19.org/resources/malaysia-online-safety-bill/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/lun8S |archive-date=2026-02-11 |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=Article 19}}</ref> | The '''Online Safety Act 2025''' ('''Act 866''') is Malaysian legislation that came into force on January 1, 2026, requiring social media and messaging platforms with over 8 million Malaysian users to remove harmful content and implement safety measures.<ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2026-01-02 |title=Online Safety Act comes into force to protect users |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2026/01/02/online-safety-act-comes-into-force-to-protect-users |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/baPUk |archive-date=2026-02-11 |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=The Star}}</ref> The Act targets nine categories of harmful content including child sexual abuse material and financial fraud, with platforms facing fines up to RM10 million for non-compliance. <ref name=":0" /> Civil society groups have raised concerns about potential censorship and surveillance, while the government maintains the Act targets platform accountability rather than individual users.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last= |title=Malaysia: Concerns with the Online Safety Bill 2024 |url=https://www.article19.org/resources/malaysia-online-safety-bill/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/lun8S |archive-date=2026-02-11 |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=Article 19}}</ref> | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Between January and November 2025, Malaysian police recorded RM2.7 billion in reported losses from online scams.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last= | Between January and November 2025, Malaysian police recorded RM2.7 billion in reported losses from online scams.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Bernama |date=2025-12-08 |title=Online scams cost Malaysians over RM2.7bil as of November |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025/12/08/online-scams-cost-malaysians-over-rm27bil-as-of-november |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/9Lzle |archive-date=2026-02-11 |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=The Star}}</ref> A UNICEF study identified more than 100,000 children in Malaysia at risk of online sexual exploitation<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harry Beaty |first=Gloria |last2=Salehuddin |first2=Sufea |date=2024-12-02 |title=The growing threat of online child exploitation |url=https://themalaysianreserve.com/2024/12/02/the-growing-threat-of-online-child-exploitation/ |url-status=live |website=The Malaysian Reserve}}</ref><!-- < TMR resists archiving tools -->, with police operations uncovering hundreds of thousands of files containing child sexual abuse material. {{CitationNeeded|reason=Sentence mixes two different sources together?}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=[404!] |title= |url=https://www.unicef.org/malaysia/press-releases/unicef-malaysia-online-child-safety-report |url-status=dead}}</ref> <!-- Original 404! reference in case it gives context: [404!]. https://www.unicef.org/malaysia/press-releases/unicef-malaysia-online-child-safety-report --> | ||
Between January 2024 and November 2025, major platforms removed 92% of 697,061 harmful posts flagged by Malaysian authorities, but 58,104 posts remained accessible online.<ref>{{Cite web |last= | Between January 2024 and November 2025, major platforms removed 92% of 697,061 harmful posts flagged by Malaysian authorities, but 58,104 posts remained accessible online.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Raja Reza |first=Danish |date=2026-02-04 |title=What the Online Safety Act changes, and how it works |url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/02/04/what-the-online-safety-act-changes-and-how-it-works |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/OErTu |archive-date=2026-02-11 |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=Free Malaysia Today}}</ref> These ongoing challenges prompted the Malaysian government to introduce the Online Safety Act 2025 to strengthen platform accountability for harmful content and protect Malaysian internet users, particularly children.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2026-01-01 |title=Enforcement of Online Safety Act takes effect, strengthening online protections for children and families, says MCMC |url=https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/01/01/enforcement-of-online-safety-act-takes-effect-strengthening-online-protections-for-children-and-families-says-mcmc/203923 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.is/ksNvz |archive-date=2026-02-11 |access-date=2026-02-11 |website=Malay Mail}}</ref> | ||
==Key provision== | ==Key provision== | ||
===Who it applies to=== | ===Who it applies to=== | ||
The Act applies to licensed service providers under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, specifically Applications Service Providers (ASPs), Content Applications Service Providers (CASPs), and Network Service Providers (NSPs).<ref name=": | The Act applies to licensed service providers under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, specifically Applications Service Providers (ASPs), Content Applications Service Providers (CASPs), and Network Service Providers (NSPs).<ref name=":15" /><ref name=":0" /> Social media or messaging platforms with over 8 million users in Malaysia are automatically deemed licensees and subject to the Act's requirements.{{CitationNeeded}} The Act has extra-territorial reach, applying to companies outside Malaysia if they provide services within Malaysia and fall under the licensing framework. <ref>{{Cite book |url=https://lom.agc.gov.my/ilims/upload/portal/akta/outputaktap/2867049_BI/Act%20866-Online%20Safety%20Act%202025.pdf |title=ONLINE SAFETY ACT 2025 - Act 866 |year=2025 |pages=10 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250911161002/https://lom.agc.gov.my/ilims/upload/portal/akta/outputaktap/2867049_BI/Act%20866-Online%20Safety%20Act%202025.pdf |archive-date=2025-09-11 |url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
===Affected platforms=== | ===Affected platforms=== | ||
| Line 33: | Line 33: | ||
===Platform obligations=== | ===Platform obligations=== | ||
Licensed providers must implement measures to reduce user exposure to harmful content, issue safety guidelines, provide online safety tools, provide user support mechanisms, and establish reporting channels for harmful content.<ref name=":1" /> Platforms must submit an Online Safety Plan to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and make it publicly available.<ref name=":0" /> | Licensed providers must implement measures to reduce user exposure to harmful content, issue safety guidelines, provide online safety tools, provide user support mechanisms, and establish reporting channels for harmful content.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=[525]\[404] |first= |title= |url=https://www.mcmc.gov.my/en/media/press-releases/online-safety-act-2025 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Platforms must submit an Online Safety Plan to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and make it publicly available.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
They must also implement child-specific safeguards including limiting communication between children and adults, regulating recommendation systems to prevent harmful content exposure, addressing addictive design features, and protecting children's personal data.<ref name=":7" /> | They must also implement child-specific safeguards including limiting communication between children and adults, regulating recommendation systems to prevent harmful content exposure, addressing addictive design features, and protecting children's personal data.<ref name=":7" /> | ||
===Enforcement=== | ===Enforcement=== | ||
The Act is overseen by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).<ref name=":1" /> Service providers can face fines up to RM10 million for non-compliance with the Act's requirements. <ref name=":4" />The Act establishes an Online Safety Appeal Tribunal to handle grievances related to Commission decisions and enforcement actions.<ref name=":5" /> | The Act is overseen by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).<ref name=":1" /> Service providers can face fines up to RM10 million for non-compliance with the Act's requirements. <ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=[404!] |title= |url=https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2026/01/01/online-safety-act-2025-comes-into-effect |url-status=dead}}</ref>The Act establishes an Online Safety Appeal Tribunal to handle grievances related to Commission decisions and enforcement actions.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title= |url=https://lom.agc.gov.my/act-view.php?language=eng&type=act&no=866&year=2025}}</ref> | ||
==Age verification and under-16 ban== | ==Age verification and under-16 ban== | ||