Malaysia and Indonesia discuss coordinated ASEAN approach to online child safety, sharing best practices on platform restrictions and AI regulation.
JAKARTA: A coordinated ASEAN approach is crucial for strengthening online safety for children and amplifying the region’s voice globally. Malaysian Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching emphasised this after meeting her Indonesian counterpart, Nezar Patria.
She said the bloc’s shared cultural values among its 660 million people benefit from concerted action. “So, if we can coordinate our efforts, this will make the ASEAN voice louder,” Teo told Bernama.
She cited online safety as a key area for enhanced cooperation. Teo noted Indonesia’s initiative to block the AI platform Grok, which Malaysia and the Philippines later followed.
“Perhaps the approach taken is different, but it is very good for us to sit and discuss, share experiences, and share the best practices,” she said.
Both nations are also moving to restrict social media use for teenagers under 16. Malaysia’s restrictions begin in July under the Online Safety Act 2025, while Indonesia starts in March.
Teo said Indonesia’s approach is assessing a wider range of online content, while Malaysia currently focuses on social media platforms. “We feel that the intention of the Indonesian and Malaysian governments is the same,” she added.
“For now, we remain limited to social media. We will study Indonesia’s approach on other platforms and observe its implementation.”
