BALI: Asean countries must work together to protect children from growing online threats despite differences in their laws and approaches to internet safety, said Malaysia's Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil.
He said countries in the region shared the challenge of keeping the internet safe for children and needed to strengthen cooperation to address these threats.
"The internet is good. The internet can be put to good use. But do children know how to use it well?" he said in his keynote address at Bali Tech Week 2026, initiated by Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Digital on Tuesday.
Fahmi said Malaysia wanted to ensure that children below the age of 16 were unable to open social media accounts, although approaches to online safety for children could differ between Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and other Asean countries.
Malaysia began enforcing age-verification requirements for social media account registration on June 1 this year under the Child Protection Code and Risk Mitigation Code introduced under the Online Safety Act 2025.
Under the new regulations, individuals under the age of 16 are no longer allowed to open any social media accounts, while those who wish to register must submit official identification documents such as MyKad, passport or MyDigital ID to verify their age.
Fahmi also highlighted the challenges posed by social media algorithms, noting that governments had limited understanding of how they operated and influenced the content users encountered.
At the forum, Fahmi outlined Malaysia's efforts to improve internet coverage, speed and affordability while making online access safer, particularly for children.
Highlighting the dangers children faced online, he cited a recent case in which Malaysian police apprehended 53 suspected paedophiles and seized more than half a million files suspected of containing child sexual abuse material.
He described online child protection as a challenge faced by countries across the region.
He said governments needed to consider how they shaped people's choices while ensuring individuals had the freedom to make more informed decisions.
Bali Tech Week, themed "Archipelago Ascending: Advance Together, Innovate Further", is being held from Oct 19 to 23 at the Bali Beach Convention Centre in Sanur, bringing together policymakers, technology leaders, innovators and investors.
Fahmi was invited by his Indonesian counterpart, Meutya Hafid, to deliver the keynote address at the event during his working visit to Indonesia from Monday to Thursday.
He will travel to Jakarta later Tuesday to continue his official engagements.
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