Kaspersky’s latest analysis report on children’s digital interests raises concerns over Malaysian children’s exposure to inappropriate online content. The findings, covering the period from May 2024 to April 2025, identified engagement with sensitive categories including adult content, profanity, gambling, violence, substance and weapon-related material.
According to anonymised data collected by Kaspersky Safe Kids parental control solution, Malaysian children interacted with content categories that warrant attention. This included adult material (1.42%), gambling, lotteries and sweepstakes (0.98%), weapons, explosives and pyrotechnics (0.68%), profanity, obscenity (0.52%) and violence (0.30%).
The searches were observed alongside children’s regular engagement with software and video, internet communication and video games, suggesting that harmful material surfaces within the same digital space children use every day.
The digital risk is further compounded by increased device access and screen exposure among the vulnerable groups. Data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) shows that 85.6% of teens aged 13 to 17 are active internet users and 92% have their own social media accounts, spending an average of three to five hours online each day.
The Malaysia Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) has also warned that the accessibility of AI tools and social media platforms is exposing teenagers to new threats such as AI-generated pornography and deepfake content.
In line with growing concerns over harmful digital exposure among children, the Online Safety Act 2024 has already been gazetted and is expected to be enforced soon, once implementation guidelines are finalised by the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The Act aims to strengthen protection for young internet users by holding digital platforms accountable for the content they host.
These trends observed in Malaysia are echoed across the region. In Singapore, 3.82% of children accessed adult content, while in Vietnam, 3.11% engaged with similar material. Exposure to weapon-related and gambling content was recorded at 3.68% in the Philippines’ and 0.91% in Thailand, indicating a region-wide pattern of early engagement with potentially harmful online content.
“The question we should be asking is: Do we really know what our children are spending time on online? What may seem like innocent screen time can sometimes open the door to risky content. While parental awareness is crucial, it’s just one part of the solution. National regulation, digital education and accessible safety tools must all work together to build safer digital spaces for children,” said Choon Hong Chee, Head of Consumer Channel for Asia Pacific at Kaspersky.
To help children enjoy their activities online more safely, Kaspersky recommends the following best practices:
Foster open conversations with your children about online dangers and set clear usage boundaries to guide them toward safer habits.
Stay updated on digital trends and threats, and actively supervise their online interactions to reduce exposure to harmful content.
Introduce cybersecurity in a fun and engaging way through tools like the Kaspersky Cybersecurity Alphabet — a free educational resource that teaches essential concepts, online etiquette and scam awareness.
Use parental control solutions such as Kaspersky Safe Kids, which offers tools to manage screen time, filter harmful websites, monitor location and support overall digital wellbeing.
Learn the fun way to talk about digital safety with your kids and download the Midori Kuma and a Very Special Race children’s book now.
Tap into national resources such as CyberSAFE® programme by CyberSecurity Malaysia, which provides educational tools to help children, teens, parents and the public to build cyber awareness and reduce online vulnerabilities.
Kaspersky has been expanding its digital safety education initiatives across the Asia Pacific region. In Malaysia, the company recently launched the Bahasa Melayu edition of its children’s book Midori Kuma and a Very Special Race with the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) using interactive storytelling and reading sessions to make cybersecurity awareness fun and engaging for young audience.
Beyond Malaysia, Kaspersky also introduced its Kids Cyber Resilience Project in Vietnam and launched the Cybersecurity Alphabet initiative in Japan. Both developed with schools, NGOs and academic institutions to provide child-friendly cybersecurity education.
To help Malaysian parents better protect their children from evolving cyber threats, Kaspersky is offering up to 17% off Kaspersky Premium and a foodpanda voucher this Merdeka season. Valid from 1 to 31 August 2025.
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