Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 18–20 November 2025 – Balqis Maesara, INITIATE.MY’s Project Officer and Aizat Shamsuddin, INITIATE.MY’s Executive Director participated in the 2025 ASEAN ICT Forum on Child Online Protection, hosted by Malaysia’s Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) and Ministry of Communications, in collaboration with ASEAN and supported by UNICEF.
The three-day Forum convened policymakers, law enforcement, technology leaders, civil society, educators and young people from across the region to strengthen child online protection, share good practices, and explore emerging risks such as cyberbullying, online grooming, sexual exploitation and other AI-facilitated harms.
The Forum’s key takeaways:
- Online harms transcend national borders and require coordinated responses across governments, law enforcement, industry, and communities, alongside stronger cross-border collaboration and improved national reporting mechanisms such as hotlines, online portals, and platform-based tools.
- There is a need for better cross-border collaboration between law enforcement agencies in the region in investigating crimes targeting children. The discussions highlighted child-centred and victim-focused approaches in handling cases of online abuse and exploitation, along with building the capacity of professionals to respond effectively to digital threats affecting children and youth.
- The forum examined Australia’s proposal to restrict social media access for children under 16, considering its potential regional application and the broader implications of age-based regulatory safeguards.
- Strengthening child online protection requires sustained efforts to build children’s digital literacy and resilience, with active support from families, schools, and caregivers.
- Regional case studies highlighted evolving digital threats, including harmful content, algorithmic risks, and the misuse of generative AI, underscoring the complexity of emerging online environments.
- Evidence-based approaches to safeguarding children’s mental health, promoting inclusive access for children with disabilities, and fostering a positive digital culture remain essential components of a comprehensive protection framework.
INITIATE.MY participated in the Forum to gain insights, observe regional strategies and strengthen connections to support evidence-informed interventions for child online protection across ASEAN, aligning with our work on promoting responsible digital platforms and addressing technology-facilitated harms.
