Malaysia’s communications minister, Fahmi Fadzil, announced on Wednesday that the government is seeking the commitment of social media platforms to address cybercrimes, including scams, cyberbullying, and child pornography. This move is part of a broader effort to curb harmful online content.
Earlier this year, Malaysia reported a notable increase in harmful content on social media and urged platforms like Facebook parent Meta and TikTok to enhance their monitoring efforts. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, the government referred 51,638 cases to social media platforms for action, a substantial rise from the 42,904 cases recorded throughout the previous year.
Fadzil stated that directives have been issued to social media firms, requesting feedback on the government’s concerns regarding cybercrime and harmful content. “There are platforms that are more willing to cooperate and those whose cooperation isn’t satisfactory,” he noted during a media briefing.
Meta showed the highest compliance with the government’s requests, with Facebook achieving an 85% compliance rate, Instagram 88%, and WhatsApp 79%. In comparison, TikTok had a compliance rate of 76%, messaging platform Telegram 65%, and X, formerly known as Twitter, only 25%. Fadzil did not elaborate on the metrics used to measure these rates.
Despite these figures, Meta, X, TikTok, and Telegram have yet to respond to requests for comments. The Malaysian communications regulator can flag content that violates local laws to social media firms, but the final decision to remove content that breaches community guidelines lies with the platforms.
Fadzil emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between the government and social media companies to effectively combat cybercrimes. As Malaysia continues to grapple with rising online threats, the government’s push for more stringent monitoring and compliance remains a critical step in safeguarding its digital space.