PETALING JAYA: The social media platform TikTok recently held a summit titled Surf’s Up: Navigating the ebbs and flows of online safety, to promote digital literacy and online safety, while empowering Malaysians to become intelligent and responsible digital citizens.
During the summit, TikTok emphasised its commitment to ensuring user safety through its #SaferTogether movement as well as the signing of the industry pledge to digital safety.
Two main topics discussed during the summit were the balancing and moderation of freedom of speech and education of respectful online communication and conduct, led by a diverse line-up of panelists and speakers of law and academia experts, think tanks, and government bodies.
Panelists included Jerald Joseph, a former Commissioner of Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM), and Professor Gayathry S Venkiteswaran, an Assistant Professor at the School of Media, Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia.
Both panelists discussed the “dark” side of the Internet with its ongoing debate on freedom of speech and the topic of information accessibility and misinformation respectively.
Among those contributing their valuable insights to the forum were Harme Mohamed, Head of Division Network Security at MCMC; Karen Cheah, President of the Malaysian Bar Council; Mediha Mahmood, Executive Director of the Content Forum; Wathshlah Naidu, Executive Director of the Centre for Independent Journalism; Sazzy Falak, a parenting influencer, content creator, and actress (@sazzyfalak); Gandhi Palanisamy, a lawyer and TikTok creator (@lawyergandhi); Ceddy Ang, a TikTok creator and entrepreneur (@ceddyornot); Kristoffer Eduard Rada, Head of Public Policy at TikTok, and Hafizin Tajudin, Head of Public Policy at TikTok Malaysia.
Meanwhile, the introduction of TikTok’s #SaferTogether movement was launched during the Surf’s Up summit, witnessed by the Communications and Digital Minister (KKD), Fahmi Fadzil, and KKD Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching, as part of the social media’s platform’s commitment for a diverse, authentic and safe space in creative self-expression.
Through the #SaferTogether movement, Internet users can discover ways of maintaining their digital safety with the creator community by exploring in-app features such as screen time control, account privacy settings, account security, reporting tools, and comment filters.
“Through the conversation from the Surf’s Up Digital Literacy and Online Safety Summit and the introduction of the #SaferTogether movement, we hope that we can continue to uphold the highest standards of digital safety, paving a path that will help protect people online without limiting creativity and self-expression,” said Hafizin Tajudin, Head of Public Policy, TikTok Malaysia.
The summit also witnessed the Digital Safety Pledge signing, led by the Content Forum, signifying a milestone for the industry in advancing online safety practices and furthering collaborations, bringing together content creators, platforms, government agencies, and industry leaders, to collaborate on enhancing online safety practices.
Signing the pledge means organisations will commit to putting the well-being of users first, implementing effective moderation policies, and continuously striving to create a safer digital ecosystem.
“The Digital Safety Pledge signifies a collective effort towards a responsible and secure online ecosystem.
“We are thrilled to witness industry leaders and stakeholders coming together and commit to meaningful action, with TikTok leading the way in pledging their commitment to online safety.
“This pledge sets the foundation for collaboration and knowledge-sharing to develop best practices that can effectively address the evolving challenges of the digital landscape,” said Kenny Ong, chairman of the Content Forum.
Through this discourse and pledge signing, it is evident that a collective effort between industries is needed to ensure a secure online environment. The collaboration between Content Forum and TikTok through the Surf’s Up Digital Literacy and Online Safety Summit sets a positive benchmark for the industry and carves the path for a more safe and resilient digital landscape in Malaysia.
