KUALA LUMPUR – The Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA) comes into force today, ushering in a new legal framework that holds major online platforms accountable for protecting users and strengthening safeguards for children, families and vulnerable groups.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said ONSA imposes clear duties on licensed service providers to reduce exposure to harmful content, adopt proportionate and risk-based safety measures, introduce child protection safeguards, and provide more accessible reporting and user support mechanisms. The law applies to Application Service Providers, Content Application Service Providers and Network Service Providers under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, and does not apply to individual users.
With Section 46A of the CMA 1998 now in effect, social media platforms that meet the prescribed criteria are deemed licensed and must comply with Malaysian regulations, meaning platforms with more than eight million users in Malaysia fall squarely within ONSA obligations.
Under the Act, platforms must proactively curb harmful content, publish clear online safety plans, provide better safety tools, and ensure easier and more responsive complaint channels. Stronger protections are expected on services used by children, including safer default settings, tighter privacy controls and improved management of who can contact or interact with them.
ONSA defines harmful content to include child sexual abuse material, financial fraud, obscene and indecent material, harassment, violent or extremist content, content that may induce self-harm in children, material that threatens public tranquillity, and dangerous drug promotion. Child sexual abuse material and financial fraud are classified as “priority harmful content” and must be made inaccessible as quickly as possible.
MCMC said the commission is also evaluating appropriate age verification approaches through a regulatory sandbox with relevant agencies and platforms, taking into account user safety, privacy, data protection and legal suitability before any mechanism is finalised.
Together with the expanded licensing scope, the regulator said the new law forms part of a phased and structured approach to ensure large online platforms operating in Malaysia are subject to proper oversight, accountability and stronger expectations to keep the public safe online.– January 1, 2026