9-4-2024 (KUALA LUMPUR) Malaysia has called upon Meta, the operator of Facebook, and the short video service TikTok to intensify their monitoring efforts on their platforms, citing a surge in harmful social media content reported this year.
According to a joint statement issued by the communications regulator and Malaysian police on Tuesday, the government referred 51,638 cases to social media platforms, including Meta and TikTok, for further action in the first three months of 2024. This figure marks a significant increase from the 42,904 cases recorded throughout the entirety of last year.
While the statement did not specify the nature of the reported content, it highlighted that the initiative is part of broader efforts to curb the dissemination of harmful online content, particularly those pertaining to sensitive subjects such as race, religion, and royalty.
The agencies have urged TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, and Meta to take proactive measures to address content associated with coordinated inauthentic behaviour, as well as material related to financial scams and illegal online gambling.
Race and religion are highly sensitive topics in Malaysia, a nation characterized by a predominantly Muslim ethnic Malay population, alongside significant ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities. Additionally, Malaysia has legislation in place to prohibit seditious remarks or insults against its monarchy.
In recent months, Malaysia has ramped up its scrutiny of online content, amidst accusations directed at Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration, alleging a regression in its commitment to safeguarding freedom of expression. However, the government has refuted claims of stifling diverse viewpoints, asserting the need to shield users from online threats.
Last year, Meta and TikTok imposed restrictions on a record number of social media posts and accounts in Malaysia, in response to a surge in government requests to remove content, as indicated by data published by the firms.
