Petaling Jaya, Malaysia – In a bid to enhance the country’s online security, the government of Malaysia has recently announced its plans to implement a ‘kill switch.’ This initiative is anticipated to be presented in Parliament in the upcoming session for October.
In their latest statement, Azalina Othman, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), shared that the kill switch is designed to increase the responsibility of social media platform providers and internet messaging service providers in combating cybercrimes. Some of these crimes include online scams, cyberbullying, the spread of child pornography materials, and sexual harassment.
“This aligns with legal initiatives enforced in other countries,” she further said.
Othman further said the government also had a few more initiatives planned and executed to address online safety concerns, including studies to amend the Penal Code.
One of these initiatives is the International Legal Conference on Online Harms 2024, scheduled for September 5 and 6, conducted with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
According to Othman, the said conference will be attended by experts and international advocates for social media accountability and transparency, including Frances Haugen and Dr. Taylor Owne. This event will address topics such as cybercrime, child protection, social media regulation, and the rise of artificial intelligence.
