Search, tagging and comments on social media are exploited by predators to harvest children’s data without direct contact, says a cybersecurity expert
KUALA LUMPUR: Search functions, tagging features and comment sections on social media platforms are now being identified as key tools used by cyber predators to harvest information on children without requiring any direct interaction at the initial stage.
Cybersecurity expert at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Assoc Prof Dr Nur Izura Udzir said such open access is often exploited to track victims’ locations, interests and daily routines before predators begin the process of digital manipulation.
She said these digital interaction spaces are no longer merely platforms for discussion, but have become entry points for profiling victims through analysis of children’s emotions and psychological vulnerabilities.
Nur Izura, who is also a member of Cyber Security Academia Malaysia, said data obtained from such online interactions could open the door to more severe threats, including blackmail, cyber extortion and even physical threats against victims.
“They start by befriending them, interacting consistently, sharing similar interests, giving attention and eventually building trust. There have been cases where adults have posed as 13-year-old girls to make it easier to approach victims,” she told Bernama.
Nur Izura said such exploitation typically begins with cyber grooming, a gradual psychological process used to build trust with children after perpetrators identify their vulnerabilities through online activity.
Even more concerning, the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology lecturer at UPM said the Suggested Friends algorithm is also being manipulated through fake accounts that imitate victims’ social backgrounds, age and interests.
She said advances in artificial intelligence (AI), including deepfake technology that generates synthetic exploitative content, are further complicating forensic analysis and slowing down investigations by the authorities.
She added that 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 increasingly serious and organised scale of cybercrime.
Nur Izura said large-scale seizures in police operations also point to the existence of organised criminal networks that exploit technologies such as encryption, the dark web and cloud storage to conceal their activities.
In this regard, she described the proposal to set a minimum age of 16 for social media use as a critical step in strengthening child protection in an increasingly complex digital environment.
To curb impersonation and the proliferation of fake accounts, she stressed the need for tighter controls, including stronger digital identity verification, such as integration with the national identity system MyDigital ID.
“This measure is important 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 major challenges,” she said.
On March 31, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said 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 said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was studying various age verification methods ahead of the implementation of the age limit.
