Google Malaysia Highlights Tools to Keep Families Safe Online
As search interest in ‘Screen Time’ surges, Google tools, resources, and parental controls are available to manage device usage and create a safer online experience for children
With families increasingly turning to digital platforms for education and entertainment, online safety has never been more top-of-mind for parents. According to Google Trends, search interest in ‘screen time’ reached an all-time high in Malaysia in December 2024, as more parents looked for ways to manage their children’s online habits. To help families navigate the digital world with confidence, Google Malaysia is reinforcing its ongoing commitment to online safety by spotlighting the tools, resources, and parental controls available across its platforms.
“As more kids and teens become savvy navigators of the digital world, it’s important that families are empowered with the right knowledge and tools to ensure that the Internet remains a safe space for everyone. We understand that each family’s relationship with technology is unique, and that’s why we’ve built easy-to-use parental controls such as Family Link and YouTube supervised experiences as well as digital literacy programs like Be Internet Awesome to aid in their digital parenting. Together, we will be able to build a safer digital environment for all Malaysians,” said Farhan Qureshi, Country Director, Google Malaysia.
Putting Parents in Control Across Google Products
According to the APAC Kids and Families Online Safety Survey, 3 in 4 Malaysian children are spending an average of 1 to 6 six hours daily on digital platforms*. The top three types of inappropriate content reported by parents were misinformation (56.4%); deceptive ads and spam (52.3%); as well as violent content (45.9%).
In response to more children going online, Google’s search data in the past 12 months also reflects parents’ interest in online safety solutions that help manage digital risks for their children. "Screen time for kids" was a top 10 related search term among Malaysians, while the search term "recommended screen time by age" saw a 50% rise in interest.
Over the years, Google has invested in building safety features and controls in its products that help keep Malaysian families safe online without having to change any settings.
For example, to make online searches safer and prevent accidental exposure to inappropriate content, SafeSearch on Google is automatically enabled for all signed-in users under 18 years old, and blurs explicit imagery such as pornographic images, videos, and websites across all searches.
In addition, Google has also developed parental controls that empower parents to secure and manage their children’s online experience - while helping them build healthy digital habits. These protections are an important way of creating an environment where children can learn and explore safely. Some of the most impactful features that are helping parents across Malaysia include:
Parental Controls for a Safe Experience: Family Link is an app created to help parents set up a supervised account for their child. With the app, parents are able to understand how their child is spending time on their device, find the screen time that works best, stay connected on the go, as well as manage and secure their children’s accounts.
New tools such as the ability to set Downtime and School time to help reduce distractions, parent-managed contacts, and an improved interface were also added to help foster healthy digital habits.
Manage children’s access to websites in Chrome browser: Enable parents to manage their child’s access to specific websites when they are using the Chrome browser on their Android or Chrome OS device. Parents may choose to limit access only to websites that they are comfortable with, or block specific sites that they don’t want their child to visit. This can be done through the Family Link app by tapping on Manage Settings > Google Chrome and choosing the setting that’s right for the family.”
Additionally, YouTube is more than just entertainment for Malaysian youth – it's a place for them to learn new skills, dive deep into their passions, express their unique selves, and discover creators. To make it a safe and positive experience, YouTube has also invested in a range of features and policies to protect younger users:
YouTube Kids: A separate app that offers a more contained and curated environment for children. Parental controls on YouTube Kids allows families to limit screen time, only show videos approved by the parent or select suitable content based on the age of the child.
Supervised Experiences for pre-teens and teens on YouTube: On the main YouTube app, parents can set up a supervised experience on YouTube to manage the content that their children view – such as live streams, live chats, comments and the types of videos they can watch. The Family Center hub also allows parents and teens the option to link their accounts and get shared insights and notifications.
Empowering teens to manage their screen time: Features like Bedtime reminders and Take a Break notifications that encourage healthy digital habits are turned on by default for viewers under 18 years old, across short and long-form videos, with a default setting for Take a Break reminders every 60 minutes. Autoplay is also disabled for teenagers to give them more control over their viewing experience.
Building programs to elevate digital literacy in Malaysia
Beyond built-in safety features, Google is investing in education and free resources to equip families, schools, and communities with the knowledge they need to navigate the digital world safely. The free digital citizenship programme, Be Internet Awesome, has empowered more than 148,000 children to develop critical online safety skills. It is also available in Malay, and accessible via DELIMa (Digital Educational Learning Initiative Malaysia).
In addition, Google also launched the Be Internet Awesome World, a new gaming experience on Roblox that will bring these same safety lessons to life in an interactive and fun way.
Roblox is one of the most popular online gaming platforms, with over 79.5 million daily active users. Working with Roblox helps Google to reach children where they are already spending time to teach them the basics of online safety. Visitors will explore the magical world of the Internauts and learn how to navigate various real-world scenarios and risks by applying safety tips and critical thinking skills. They will have the ability to play multiple games, each based on a specific safety topic, ranging from identifying phishing attempts to practicing kindness online. During the game, players will receive immediate feedback, helping them learn through trial and error.
Find More Resources at the Google Safety Center
Google remains committed to providing families with accessible, easy-to-use tools that help them manage screen time, filter content, and protect their children online. Parents can explore these features and safety guides at the Google Safety Center.
*The survey was conducted in 2023 with 8,000 parents across Australia, India, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In Malaysia, the survey was conducted with 500 parents who have at least one child aged five to 17 years old.
