Kuala lumpur: Search functions, tagging features, and comment sections on social media platforms are increasingly being identified as essential tools utilized by cyber predators to gather information on children without needing direct interaction initially.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, cybersecurity expert at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Assoc Prof Dr. Nur Izura Udzir, highlighted that such open access is often exploited to monitor victims' locations, interests, and daily routines before predators begin digital manipulation. These digital interaction spaces have evolved from platforms for discussion to entry points for profiling victims through analysis of children's emotions and psychological vulnerabilities.
Dr. Nur Izura, who is also a member of Cyber Security Academia Malaysia, warned that data obtained from such online interactions could lead to severe threats, including blackmail, cyber extortion, and even physical threats against victims. Predators often start by befriending children, interacting consistently, sharing interests, giving attention, and eventually building trust. She cited cases where adults have posed as 13-year-old girls to approach victims more easily.
She explained that this exploitation typically starts with cyber grooming, a gradual psychological process used to build trust with children after identifying their vulnerabilities through online activity. More concerningly, the Suggested Friends algorithm is being manipulated through fake accounts imitating victims' social backgrounds, age, and interests.
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), including deepfake technology that generates synthetic exploitative content, are further complicating forensic analysis and slowing down investigations by authorities. The threat is compounded by the discovery of nearly 500,000 files related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM) through Ops Cyber Guardian last month, reflecting the serious and organized scale of cybercrime.
Dr. Nur Izura noted that large-scale seizures in police operations point to the existence of organized criminal networks exploiting technologies such as encryption, the dark web, and cloud storage to conceal their activities. She emphasized the proposal to set a minimum age of 16 for social media use as critical in strengthening child protection in the complex digital environment.
To curb impersonation and the proliferation of fake accounts, Dr. Nur Izura stressed the need for tighter controls, including stronger digital identity verification, such as integration with the national identity system MyDigital ID. This measure is crucial not only to verify users under 16 but also to prevent predators from posing as peers. Without stricter filtering systems, existing enforcement will continue to face significant challenges.
On March 31, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil stated that the government would continue efforts to restrict the opening of new social media accounts for children under 16, with implementation expected as early as mid-year. On March 7, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching mentioned that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was studying various age verification methods ahead of the age limit implementation.