A new fellowship program, Youths IRL, launched in Malaysia aims to empower young people aged 18-25 with the knowledge and skills to advocate for online safety within their communities. The program, a collaboration between Ratio:Cause, CelcomDigi Berhad, the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum), and Meta Platforms, Inc., is part of the broader Online Safety IRL campaign.
Ratio:Cause, CelcomDigi Berhad, the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum), and Meta Platforms, Inc. have joined forces to launch Youths IRL, a fellowship program designed to empower young Malaysians with the knowledge and skills to champion online safety within their communities.
Launched in conjunction with Safer Internet Day 2025, Youths IRL builds upon the success of Creators IRL, which focused on equipping social media content creators with digital safety advocacy tools. This expanded program now targets youth leaders aged 18 to 25 from across Malaysia, including Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Kedah, Perak, Sabah, and Sarawak. The selected participants, ten in total, were chosen based on their demonstrated interest in online safety issues, critical thinking abilities, and proposed solutions to digital risks. Throughout the three-month fellowship, they will undergo mentorship and training led by key stakeholders such as the Communications Ministry, CelcomDigi, Content Forum, PayNet, and CyberSecurity Malaysia. This comprehensive guidance will equip them with expertise in digital safety, scam awareness, and policy-making.At the culmination of the fellowship, participants will present a working paper outlining policy recommendations on online content and Internet governance to the Communications Ministry. This landmark initiative ensures that youth voices play a central role in shaping Malaysia's digital policies. Youths IRL is a cornerstone of the broader Online Safety IRL campaign, which aims to provide Malaysians with the knowledge and habits needed to combat escalating online threats. This campaign comprises two key initiatives: educational videos addressing issues like scam awareness, child online safety, cyberbullying, online gaming dangers, and the importance of reporting threats through the National Scam Resource Centre's 997 hotline. Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching emphasized the importance of continuous engagement with youth and content creators in fostering safer digital spaces. 'Tackling online threats requires a balanced approach, holding perpetrators accountable while empowering Internet users with knowledge to protect themselves,' she stated. 'By equipping youths with knowledge of online safety and including youth voices in policymaking, we aim to work towards digital policies that reflect the experiences of Internet users.' The Ministry of Communications is dedicated to cultivating a digital environment that encourages creativity, innovation, and freedom of expression while upholding the law. 'We are grateful for the content creators, youth leaders, and stakeholders in the social media and telecommunications industries who have committed themselves to working with us in achieving these goals,' added Teo at the launch on January 12th at the Ministry of Communications in Putrajaya
ONLINE SAFETY YOUTH FELLOWSHIP CYBERSECURITY MALAYSIA SCAM AWARENESS POLICY MAKING DIGITAL GOVERNANCE
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