When digital violence targets the most vulnerable
HEMA SUBRAMANIAM
In conjunction with World Human Rights Day, I write not only as a citizen, but as a witness and survivor of the same cyberbullying and online abuse incident involving the late influencer Esha, and as someone deeply alarmed by the total failure to protect victims of digital violence in Malaysia.
Over the past year, I have been subjected to relentless cyber harassment, defamation, threats, doxing and coordinated online attacks. Despite repeated police reports and complaints lodged with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), no visible enforcement action has stopped the abuse.
What makes this crisis even more disturbing is that children — who are protected under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) — have become deliberate targets. Multiple troll accounts have directed severe harassment, sexual threats and violent language against minors in public live streams and comment sections. These are not isolated incidents; they are repeated, organised and highly visible.
I have personally witnessed the same perpetrators openly involved in online gang-style fights, the exchange of obscene content, and violent threats during live broadcasts. Yet, when these were reported to the TikTok platform, the system claimed “no violation detected”. This sends a dangerous message that abuse is tolerated. TikTok’s failure to act shows a disturbing disregard for the safety and welfare of the Indian community, despite these concerns being raised repeatedly over time.
If TikTok had a robust, transparent and accountable safety mechanism, police and the MCMC would not be burdened with preventable cases. Instead, the absence of effective platform governance has shifted the load to enforcement agencies that are already overstretched. Compounding this is the fact that TikTok, the police and the MCMC operate as entirely separate entities, creating serious communication and coordination breakdowns that weaken the ability to respond swiftly and effectively.
The situation is made worse by the ease with which perpetrators hide behind fake and anonymous troll accounts. Tracing these individuals is a slow, complex and resource-intensive process, allowing harassment, threats and digital violence to continue unchecked while investigations are delayed.
These are not merely offensive remarks. They are violations of children’s right to safety, dignity and psychological well-being, and they constitute digital violence.
After my personal information was exposed online, I was physically stalked. My family and I were placed in real and immediate danger. Even my confidential police reports were read aloud and mocked publicly by anonymous accounts that continue to livestream daily without meaningful intervention.
This is not an isolated problem. There are at least ten reported cases of doxing and coordinated online abuse, reflecting a systemic collapse in the protection of victims — particularly women and children.
The emotional and psychological toll has been devastating. The fear, humiliation and trauma caused by these sustained attacks have pushed me to the brink. I am speaking not for attention, but because silence has become dangerous.
The United Nations’ “No Excuse” campaign against violence and harassment delivers a clear global message: abuse must never be normalised — especially when it targets children. Malaysia must embrace and enforce this principle. There can be no excuse for online sexual threats, doxxing, organised digital harassment or platform negligence.
On World Human Rights Day, Malaysia must confront a difficult truth: How safe are our witnesses, our women and our children in the digital age?
When authorities and platforms fail, human dignity erodes.
I urge lawmakers, enforcement agencies and digital platforms to act decisively — not only to protect victims like myself, but to uphold the rights of vulnerable communities before more irreversible harm is done.
Hema Subramaniam is a broadcast journalist and a cyberbullying survivor.