PRE-DIGITAL SAFETY ACT ENACTMENT: SHOULD WE LEARN FROM THE EU?

Muhammad Muslim Rusli

DOI:

Keywords:

social media; online harms; Digital Safety Act; Digital Service Act

Abstract

The advent of social media platforms has revolutionized digital cyberspace. However, this revolution comes with various proliferation of illegal content like disinformation, scams, fake news, and hate speech. Malaysia grapples with regulating platforms to balance safety and freedom, but the Digital Safety Act faces stakeholder resistance for its strict provisions. Leveraging on Stakeholder Theory, this article will explore the European Union (EU)'s Digital Service Act (DSA)'s fundamental aspect of proactive engagement through symposiums, negotiations, and meetings with all the relevant stakeholders to shape a road map for 'Europe Fit for Digital Age' policy. As the DSA merges as a significant regulatory framework, the DSA provides valuable insights for countries like Malaysia and ASEAN to develop effective social media regulations. This includes the duty to engage with all relevant stakeholders such as media industries, civil society organizations, and the public to adequately address their concerns and minimize negative feedback. The EU digital framework policy sets a model for short-term and long-term digital planning, valuable for Malaysia's goal of digital sovereignty, offering insights for effective Malaysian regulations.

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