25-6-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) The Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) of Malaysia announced on Friday (Jun 23) its decision to pursue legal action against Meta Platforms Inc, the parent company of Facebook, for its failure to remove “undesirable content” from the platform.
Due to the insufficient cooperation received from Meta, MCMC stated that it had no choice but to take definitive measures or initiate legal action against the company. This action is aimed at ensuring the safety and protection of individuals in the digital realm.
The corporate communications department of MCMC emphasized that this step is necessary to promote cybersecurity accountability and enhance consumer protection against online harms, including fraudulent activities and scams.
MCMC highlighted that Facebook has been plagued by a significant amount of undesirable content related to defamation, impersonation, online gambling, scam advertisements, and sensitive topics such as race, religion, and royalty (referred to as 3R). The regulator stated that Meta has not fully cooperated in removing such content and has not taken sufficient action to address the issue.
The statement from MCMC criticized Meta’s response, describing it as slow and unsatisfactory, failing to match the urgency of the matter and leading to growing public concern and scrutiny.
The regulator firmly stated its zero-tolerance policy towards the abuse of online platforms, telecommunications, networks, or online facilities for malicious cyber activities, phishing attempts, or any content that threatens racial stability, social harmony, and respect for the country’s Rulers.
According to a report by the Malay Mail, Meta claimed in 2022 that it had identified and removed over 600 accounts linked to the Royal Malaysian Police across its social network platforms for violating policies against coordinated inauthentic behavior. These accounts were suspected to be part of a “troll farm” used to manipulate public discourse through the use of fake accounts.
Meta’s Quarterly Adversarial Threat report allegedly revealed that these fake accounts posted memes in Malay to support the then-Perikatan Nasional administration. Additionally, the accounts attempted to tarnish the image of critics by accusing them of corruption while promoting the police force, as reported by the Malay Mail.
Previously, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil acknowledged the cooperation received from Facebook and other social platforms in dealing with the government. However, he also mentioned that messaging app Telegram had reportedly refused to cooperate with the ministry.
On Jun 5, MCMC announced its consideration of taking action against Telegram due to cybercrime cases associated with the platform. The regulator’s chief compliance officer, Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin, stated that Telegram had become one of the top five platforms with the highest number of cybercrime activities, according to the New Straits Times (NST). Telegram previously ranked 11th between 2019 and 2020.
A report by NST on May 28 quoted Telegram spokesperson Mr. Vaughn, stating that the messaging app refuses to participate in any form of political censorship. Vaughn emphasized that Telegram has been actively moderating harmful content on its platform since its launch, including the sale of illegal substances and public pornography.
However, following a meeting with Telegram representatives, Fahmi announced on Jun 19 that the platform had agreed to cooperate with MCMC and the Malaysian police in cracking down on cyber fraud, as reported by The Star.
