5-6-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is considering taking action against messaging app Telegram due to rising cybercrime cases associated with the platform. The regulator’s chief compliance officer, Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin, spoke to New Straits Times on Monday (Jun 5), saying that action is necessary to protect users and safeguard national sovereignty.
Mr Zulkarnain revealed during an interview on the “Selamat Pagi Malaysia” programme that aired on Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) that Telegram has become one of the top five platforms for cybercrime activities. The app was previously in the 11th spot between 2019 and 2020.
To counter this, he suggested that drastic measures might be necessary against Telegram, as there are no official communication channels or contact persons representing the app for the government to raise any issues or follow-up action.
According to The Star, Mr Zulkarnain stated that Telegram is popular because it offers a high level of security for users, as well as anonymity and secure end-to-end encryption, which allows for the sharing of a large amount of data in the cloud. However, he also revealed that it is easier for cybercriminals to join Telegram as they do not need to register or produce credentials to be approved on the platform or be invited to join chat groups. There is also no administrator who controls the platform.
“This situation makes Telegram the platform of choice for cybercriminals to switch from the ‘dark web’ to the mainstream online platforms to target more victims,” he was quoted as saying by The Star.
On May 29, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi called for action to be taken against Telegram for its refusal to cooperate with Malaysia’s communications and digital ministry in light of numerous complaints lodged against the messaging platform.
“We have a system… but if the contents are detrimental to society, action must be taken immediately,” he said, according to Malay Mail.
