Malaysia Pulse delivers breaking news, politics, business, sports and lifestyle coverage from Malaysia and Southeast Asia — trusted, timely and independent.
Meta faces a watershed trial in Oakland starting August 12, with four state attorneys general alleging the social media giant deliberately designed Instagram and Facebook to addict children. The case seeks up to US$1.4 trillion in damages.
An Ipoh technician has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of sexually assaulting his 14-year-old stepdaughter. The case marks another serious child protection matter before Malaysian courts, raising concerns about safeguarding vulnerable minors within family settings.
A New Mexico court has ordered Meta to pay US$567 million in damages and treatment costs for harms caused to young people on Instagram and Facebook, marking the second major financial penalty against the tech giant in a growing wave of state litigation.
Apple temporarily delisted Telegram from the App Store after discovering prohibited child safety content, though the app was restored once Telegram removed the material and blocked the responsible user.
Cambodia's National Police and Child Protection Unit are investigating the deaths of a 15-month-old and five-year-old found in Banteay Meanchey province, treating each case as an independent child homicide.
A 36-year-old Camden man faces charges of attempted production of child sexual abuse material after authorities used a specially trained police dog to locate a hidden cellphone during a search of his home.
A madrasah principal appeared in Sessions Court in Pasir Mas after being charged with three counts of sexual assault involving young students between 2023 and 2024.
A 40-year-old Singaporean has been fined S$5,000 and banned from driving for six months after placing his two young sons on the boot of his moving Porsche. The incident, recorded and shared online, prompted a police report.
After nearly three years of investigation, Johor Bahru police have reclassified the death of an 18-month-old boy as murder, with the child's biological father now identified as the primary suspect in the case.
The European Commission has launched formal allegations against TikTok for failing to safeguard children, citing public profiles and algorithmic recommendations that expose minors to contact risks and cyberbullying.
Vietnam is drafting legislation to restrict social media use by children under 16, requiring parental registration and monitoring. The move mirrors similar policies adopted across Asia and Europe to protect minors from online harms.
A US federal appeals court has blocked Texas from enforcing a requirement that social media platforms monitor and filter harmful content, ruling that federal law shields the industry from such obligations.
European regulators have charged TikTok with violating the Digital Services Act by allowing children's accounts to be publicly visible by default, potentially exposing them to predators and bullying.
The European Union has launched enforcement action against TikTok, citing preliminary findings that the platform's account settings fail to protect children adequately under strict digital safety regulations, potentially resulting in substantial financial penalties.
A two-year-old girl died after being hit by a fertiliser lorry driven by her grandfather in Gurun, Kedah. Police are investigating the fatal accident, which occurred while the vehicle was being reversed near a residential house.
A 2-year-old girl died after being struck by a lorry her grandfather was reversing in the driveway of their Sungai Petani home. The 61-year-old man has been detained for questioning.
Malaysia's communications regulator has removed 1,550 pieces of offensive content involving children since early 2022. New legislation and age verification requirements aim to strengthen child protection online.
Dozens of countries are moving to restrict or ban social media access for children, with Malaysia's legislation taking effect in June. The trend reflects growing global concern over the impact of platforms on young people's mental health and development.
A 10-year-old girl who went missing in mid-July has been discovered dead in Kota Kinabalu. Police have arrested two men and are treating the death as murder, launching a full investigation into the circumstances.
A trainee teacher has pleaded not guilty to six sexual assault charges involving a 14-year-old male student in Perak. The case is proceeding through the Sessions Court system.
Police have arrested a 36-year-old trader in Melaka on suspicion of molesting 10 young boys and sodomising one between March and the present month, authorities said.
The European Parliament has failed to break a stalemate over protecting children online, allowing a voluntary reporting system to expire in April. Disagreements over encryption safeguards have stalled progress on updated regulations.
EU lawmakers have voted to restore interim regulations permitting technology companies including Google and Meta to identify and eliminate child sexual abuse content online, whilst maintaining safeguards for encrypted communications.
India's government has instructed Meta to remove child sexual abuse material from Instagram and its platforms, following a BBC investigation. The order marks escalating regulatory scrutiny of the social media giant across multiple jurisdictions.
The suspected gang rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl in West Bengal's Baruipur sparked massive protests, mob violence, and the alleged lynching of a suspect on Sunday, with police struggling to maintain order.
Authorities in Shah Alam have arrested a college employee suspected of sexually assaulting and sodomising two teenage students. The suspect, employed at a Glenmarie institution, faces serious charges related to the alleged crimes against minors.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised a Senate inquiry delay on amendments that would strengthen the eSafety Commissioner's enforcement powers against social media platforms breaching the country's child social media ban.
Authorities in Bengaluru have arrested five daycare employees following the emergence of videos depicting abuse of toddlers at an on-campus childcare facility operated by IT services firm Capgemini.
An elderly resident has been brought before the Ayer Keroh Sessions Court in Melaka, facing serious charges related to the sexual assault of two primary school-aged children. The incidents allegedly occurred within mosque premises.