{
  "id": 15736484,
  "title": "Fahmi calls for stronger Asean cooperation on child online safety",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/fahmi-calls-for-stronger-asean-cooperation-on-child-online-safety",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-20T11:15:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/10/20/fahmi-calls-for-stronger-asean-cooperation-on-child-online-safety/239912"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bali, October 20 - Malaysian Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil has called for enhanced cooperation among Asean nations to safeguard children from escalating online threats, despite varying laws and approaches to internet safety in the region. Speaking at the opening of Bali Tech Week 2026, Fahmi emphasized that while the internet is a powerful tool, its safe use by children is a concern that requires strengthened regional collaboration. He proposed that children under the age of 16 should be prevented from creating social media accounts, though each country may adopt different strategies to achieve this goal. Malaysia implemented age-verification requirements for social media registrations on June 1 under the Child Protection Code and Risk Mitigation Code introduced by the Online Safety Act 2025. Under these new regulations, individuals under 16 are barred from opening social media accounts, and users must provide official identification documents to verify their age. Fahmi also addressed the challenges posed by social media algorithms, acknowledging that governments have limited comprehension of their workings and the content they influence. He detailed Malaysia's initiatives to enhance internet accessibility, speed, and affordability while ensuring a safer online environment for children. This includes recent police actions against 53 suspected paedophiles who possessed over half a million files suspected of containing child sexual abuse material. Fahmi stressed the importance of governments shaping societal choices without compromising individual freedom to make informed decisions, a theme emphasized during Bali Tech Week 2026. The event, themed \"Archipelago Ascending: Advance Together, Innovate Further,\" runs from October 19 to 23 at the Bali Beach Convention Centre in Sanur, gathering policymakers, technology leaders, innovators, and investors. Fahmi was invited by his Indonesian counterpart, Meutya Hafid, to deliver the keynote address during his official visit to Indonesia from October 19 to 22. He will continue his engagements in Jakarta on Tuesday.",
  "summary": "BALI, Oct 20 — Asean countries must work together to protect children from growing online threats despite dif...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "Pushing for regional unity despite disparate national laws signals a shift toward collective defense against digital threats as Southeast Asian policymakers attempt to regulate complex social media algorithms.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Bernama",
        "title": "World : Malaysia, Indonesia Agree To Expand Online Child Safety Cooperation",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/world-malaysia-indonesia-agree-to-expand-online-child-safety",
        "published": "2026-10-20T06:13:32.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}