Originally designed to facilitate communication and foster connections, these platforms have unfortunately become hunting grounds for criminals, including sexual predators, who exploit anonymity and weak oversight to target vulnerable users.

As part of their safety guidelines, many platforms, such as WhatsApp, TikTok and Facebook, set a minimum user age of 13 years old, while Telegram recommends users to be at least 16. However, these age limits are often ignored.

A review by the New Sunday Times (NST) on social media and messaging platforms found that weak verification systems, which often rely on self declared birth dates, make it easy for underage users to bypass restrictions and set up accounts.

Many platforms do not have verification measures, allowing users to register without having to provide their real names or birth dates.

Principal Assistant Director of Bukit Aman Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division (D11), SAC Siti Kamsiah Hassan said Section 31 of the Child Act 2001 stipulated parents'' responsibility to safeguard their children from abuse, including sexual exploitation.

Read further on New Straits Times' article attached.