KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 — More than 500,000 pieces of online content were removed by service providers between January 1, 2022, and August 1 for violating the law, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the content taken down comprised 321,012 items related to gambling, 119,273 fraudulent content, 43,585 obscene content, 35,420 involving bullying or sexual harassment, and 38,818 fake content.
The content was removed at the request of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for breaching the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588), other relevant laws, and the platform providers’ community guidelines.
She said the MCMC continued to enhance the monitoring of harmful online content through collaboration with enforcement agencies like the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN), and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
“MCMC’s involvement includes providing technical assistance, such as the provision of information and digital forensic analysis, to facilitate investigations by the authorities.
“The Ministry of Communications, through the MCMC, is committed to ensuring a safe online environment for all levels of society,” Teo said during the question-and-answer session.
She was responding to Betong MP Datuk Dr Richard Rapu on the steps taken by the ministry to enhance the monitoring of harmful content online, including online gambling, cyber fraud, cyberbullying, and fake news.
Teo added that the MCMC had also developed the Sebenarnya.my portal as a fact-checking platform, and on January 28, launched the Sebenarnya.my Chatbot, or Artificial Intelligence Fact-check Assistant (AIFA).
The initiative was designed to make it easier for the public to verify information, provide faster responses to inauthentic content, and bolster Sebenarnya.my’s efforts in tackling false information.
Starting January 1 this year, the MCMC required Internet messaging and social media service providers meeting licensing criteria to apply for and obtain an Application Service Provider Class (ASP(C)) licence under Act 588.
“The measure aims to ensure that each service provider assumes statutory responsibilities in managing their operations in Malaysia, including effectively addressing harmful content, especially involving children.
“MCMC has also published a Code of Conduct (Best Practices) for Internet Messaging and Social Media Service Providers, outlining their responsibilities in protecting children and adolescents from harmful content,” she said.
MCMC also launched the Safe Internet Campaign (KIS) on January 21, focusing on online safety issues like age limits for social media users, cyberbullying, and preventing access to inappropriate content.
At the same time, Teo said platform providers must take responsibility to prevent the spread of fraudulent or cyberbullying content on their platforms and to remove it promptly once detected.
“We find that many fraudulent content or postings are only removed after MCMC files a report and sends an official request to the platform.
“Due to the lack of strict guidelines for advertisers, we have not seen any reduction in fraudulent content; in fact, it has been increasing every year,” she said.
