KUALA LUMPUR: The government has been urged to enact specific legislation to protect the rights and privacy of minors on social media.
Wanita MCA national chair Datuk Heng Seai Kie welcomed recommendations from the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) for fresh laws to be enacted to protect the rights and privacy of all minor children in Malaysia.
"In many developed countries, for example in the United Kingdom and the United States of America, there is already a Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) to protect children from the actions of their parents."
She earlier said that the wing was concerned with the actions of parents who uploaded images and videos for the public to view on social media that could draw sex offenders out of the woodwork.
"This eagerness to post on social media is dangerous because the images and videos uploaded run the risk of turning up on the dark web or websites for paedophiles.
"In fact, such mischief has already occurred," said Heng, drawing on the long list of cases involving the exploitation of minors.
She further said once a minor's image or video was disseminated unto a website via a foreign URL, it would become extremely difficult to retract it.
"Therefore, Wanita MCA calls on parents to be more sensitive about children's rights, privacy and safeguards.
"Uploading images and videos of children violates their rights and privacy because children are unable to decline authorisation."