KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 — Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil today said the government, through the Ministry of Communications and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is continuing efforts to implement electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) verification as part of tighter social media controls aimed at users under the age of 16.

He said the primary objective of the measure is to ensure that children below 16 years old do not independently hold social media accounts.

“In cases where accounts are created by parents and remain under their supervision, children may still use them to upload or view content. The key issue is ensuring that parental control can be effectively enforced,” he said during the ministry’s weekly online press conference.

He also emphasised that the effectiveness of the policy ultimately depends on the ability of parents to exercise adequate oversight.

Fahmi added that the initiative is also intended to reduce the risk of children interacting with unknown adults online.

Citing a recent case in Sabah involving a man who was sentenced to imprisonment and caning after committing an offence against a 15-year-old girl, he said investigations found that the initial contact between them took place via TikTok, despite platform rules prohibiting users under 16 from having accounts.

He said the incident highlights the limitations of relying solely on social media platforms to ensure child safety, particularly against threats such as sexual predators and paedophiles.

“As such, the government’s priority is to safeguard children’s welfare and the institution of the family,” he added. 

Albanese defends plan forcing Meta, Google and TikTok to make deals with Australian news publishers through a levy

The Trump administration has described Australia’s moves to make big tech companies pay for news online as “extortion” but Anthony Albanese defended the plan by saying it was about protecting and rewarding media outlets for the work they produce.

Labor’s plan to encourage Meta, Google and TikTok to make deals with Australian news publishers, or face a 2.25% levy, is likely to be supported by the Coalition and Greens in parliament. But a bigger problem may be the ire of Donald Trump, who has strongly opposed extra regulation being imposed on US-based tech companies. A major tech industry lobby group on Wednesday urged the White House to consider retaliatory trade measures.

SYDNEY, April 28 — Australia unveiled draft laws on Tuesday that would tax tech giants Meta, Google and TikTok unless they voluntarily strike deals to pay local outlets for news.

Traditional media companies around the world are in a battle for survival as readers increasingly consume their news on social media.

Australia wants big tech companies to compensate local publishers for sharing articles that drive traffic on their platforms.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said tech giants Meta, Google and TikTok would be given a chance to strike content deals with local news publishers.

If they refused, they faced a compulsory levy that amounted to 2.25 per cent of their Australian revenue, he said.

“Large digital platforms cannot avoid their obligations under the news media bargaining code,” Albanese told reporters.

“At this point the three organisations are Meta, Google and TikTok.” The three firms were singled out based on a combination of their Australian revenues and large numbers of domestic users.

Meta, Google and TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The draft laws have been designed to stop the tech giants from simply stripping news from their platforms – something Meta and Google have done in the past.

“What we are encouraging is for them to sit down with news organisations and get these deals done,” Albanese said.

When Canberra mooted similar laws in 2024, Facebook parent Meta announced that Australian users would no longer be able to access the “news” tab.

Meta had previously announced it would not renew content deals with news publishers in the United States, Britain, France and Germany.

‘Only fair’

Google has similarly threatened to restrict its search engine in Australia if forced to compensate news outlets.

Journalism needed to have a “monetary value attached to it”, Albanese said.

“It shouldn’t be able to be taken by a large multinational corporation and used to generate profits with no compensation.”

Supporters of such laws argue that social media companies attract users with news stories and hoover up online advertising dollars that would otherwise go to struggling newsrooms.

Australia’s University of Canberra has found that more than half the country uses social media as a source of news.

“People are increasingly getting their news directly from Facebook, from TikTok and Google,” Communications Minister Anika Wells said.

“We believe it’s only fair that large digital platforms contribute to the hard work that enriches their feeds and that drives their revenue.”

The draft laws were presented for public consultation on Tuesday, which will close in May.

They would then be introduced into parliament later this year. — AFP

Labor’s draft news bargaining incentive scheme includes 2.25% levy on local revenues of digital giants

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Anthony Albanese has urged Google, Meta and TikTok to make deals with Australian media outlets to avoid a dedicated 2.25% levy on local revenues, warning digital giants should not be able to exploit the work of journalists to boost profits.

Releasing an exposure draft for the government’s news bargaining incentive (NBI) scheme on Tuesday, the prime minister said platforms could avoid the levy by signing new deals with publishers to pay for news content, and even greater offsets for making deals with smaller publishers. The government expects the plan will raise up to $250m annually for Australian journalism.

SYDNEY, April 28 — Australia unveiled draft laws on Tuesday that will charge tech giants Meta, Google and TikTok unless they voluntarily strike deals to pay local outlets for news.

“Platforms who elect not to do commercial deals with news publishers will need to pay a charge as a proportion of their revenue, with any charges collected to be distributed back to the news media sector,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement. — AFP

Creator card is designed for people making money through TikTok Live, some of whom complain of payment delays

TikTok and Visa have launched a debit card for content creators in the UK which they say will allow people to quickly access their earnings from the platform.

The creator card is designed for the growing numbers of people making money through TikTok Live, a livestreaming feature where creators receive virtual gifts from viewers that are later converted into cash.

Experts say regulation of child influencers sits in a legal grey area as children promote products on social media

• #ToddlerSkincare: the ‘dark and exploitative’ world of children’s beauty videos on TikTok

In a TikTok video a young girl – her age anywhere between 10 and 15 – sits unboxing package after package of products she says were sent to her by skincare brands. She calls it a “PR haul”.

In another video, a 16-year-old opens a box of products she received from a well known brand. She says: “I know I have younger people watching,” before reading out a note from the brand that says: “Can’t wait for you to share your thoughts.”

A recent survey of 1,458 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 found that most of them do not see social media platforms affecting their mental health.

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PM summons senior figures from Meta, TikTok, Google and X and says social media is ‘putting our children at risk’

Keir Starmer has told social media bosses “things can’t go on like this” in a Downing Street meeting over internet safety.

The prime minister summoned senior figures at Meta, TikTok, Google and X to No 10 on Thursday morning as his government considers imposing new restrictions on platforms, including an Australia-style ban for under-16s. Meta owns Facebook and Instagram, and Google owns YouTube.