In-depth reporting on Malaysia and the region.
A Chinese father has sued four major gaming companies for failing to prevent his teenage son's addiction, which led to a drug poisoning incident. He seeks minimal monetary damages but calls for stricter identity verification.
Singapore's newly established Online Safety Commission has ordered the removal of a TikTok post that falsely implicated a fitness instructor in former Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim's resignation. The post subjected an innocent woman to online harassment and false accusations.
Australia's online safety regulator has filed civil proceedings against Telegram in Federal Court, alleging the messaging platform failed to remove terrorism-related content including videos of mass shootings despite user reports.
Vietnam is drafting legislation to require parental registration of social media accounts for children under 16 and block access to harmful content, joining countries worldwide tightening online protections for minors.
A divided US federal appeals court has blocked Texas from enforcing a requirement that social media platforms filter content promoting self-harm and abuse, ruling that federal law shields companies from such obligations.
Malaysia's communications regulator has successfully removed over 12,000 deepfake posts since January, achieving a 94 per cent removal rate. New labelling requirements now apply to AI-generated content on social platforms.
France has become the first European Union member state to ban social media access for children under 15 years old, following parliamentary approval in both legislative chambers this week.
Malaysia is hosting the International Regulatory Conference 2026 to tackle emerging challenges in digital regulation, artificial intelligence governance, and online safety. The two-day event brings together regional and international regulators, policymakers, and industry leaders to shape the nation's evolving digital landscape.
Malaysian officials and regional experts are grappling with how to protect children online without eroding freedom of expression, with enforcement emerging as the critical challenge.
Malaysia's communications regulator is pushing for greater consistency between laws governing the physical and digital worlds to better protect children and vulnerable groups from escalating online threats and exploitation.
The MCMC has called in an individual for questioning regarding online content involving 3R matters concerning Negeri Sembilan's ruler, signalling heightened enforcement during the current political climate.
Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia supports the government's plan to establish accreditation standards for online Islamic preachers, aiming to maintain authenticity and prevent religious misinformation in digital spaces.
Malaysia's Communications Ministry has removed 457,562 pieces of online gambling content since January 2025, with service providers blocking 1,778 websites following MCMC requests and enforcement agency referrals.
The European Commission has accepted X's proposed remedial measures to address breaches of its Digital Services Act, including enhanced researcher access and data transparency. The platform has six months to implement the changes.
The UK government plans to impose a default midnight-to-6am curfew on social media apps for teenagers aged 16-17, requiring users to actively change settings to access platforms overnight. Tech companies face legal obligations and regulatory sanctions for non-compliance.
Australia's online safety regulator has sounded an alarm over escalating sexual extortion targeting young men and boys, revealing tech giants are failing to adequately combat the crime despite having the tools available.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission will convene the International Regulatory Conference 2026 at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur on July 21–22, bringing together global regulators and industry experts to discuss digital economy challenges and international telecommunications governance.
The European Parliament has failed to resolve divisions over how to tackle online child sexual abuse, allowing a key voluntary reporting mechanism to lapse while disputes over encrypted messaging persist.
South Korea has enacted tough penalties for online misinformation, imposing fines up to 1 billion won for repeat offenders. However, press freedom advocates and opposition lawmakers worry the vague law could stifle legitimate criticism and journalism.
Denmark has formally backed Belgium in a landmark European Court of Justice dispute over whether tech companies must pay for news content. The case could reshape how platforms compensate publishers across the EU.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has revealed that Malaysia is completing an Artificial Intelligence Governance Bill designed to work in tandem with existing cybersecurity and data protection legislation, strengthening the country's digital regulatory ecosystem.
Parliament's second sitting week featured Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim clarifying federal funding distribution while lawmakers passed legislation addressing child sexual abuse, employment insurance and cybercrime including deepfake offences.
French President Emmanuel Macron and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have issued a joint call for tougher regulation of digital platforms, citing growing threats to children's health and development from online content and data harvesting.
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The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission will maintain vigilant oversight of internet content during the Johor state election campaign, enforcing regulatory standards across digital platforms.
Indonesia's communications ministry reports that TikTok and YouTube have deactivated 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under 16 following new government regulations. The enforcement reflects broader global efforts to protect young people from social media harms.
A University of Newcastle study tracking 408 teenagers found Australia's groundbreaking social media age restrictions have had minimal impact, with over 85% of under-16s continuing to access platforms through various workarounds.
Social media companies operating in Malaysia must implement age-verification systems or face penalties up to RM10 million under the Online Safety Act 2025, Parliament was told.