Kuala lumpur: The misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, such as deepfakes, to produce inappropriate content, especially those targeting women, is worrying, with nearly 7,000 content takedown applications submitted to social media platforms since 2024.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching stated that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had submitted a total of 6,987 content takedown requests from January 1, 2024, to March 1, 2026. Of these, 95 percent, or 6,657 pieces of content, were removed. In 2024, 817 pieces of content were taken down, which increased to 3,389 in 2025. As of March 1 this year, 2,451 pieces of inappropriate content using deepfake and AI technologies have been removed.
Teo emphasized that technologies such as deepfakes are becoming a trend, with more women falling victim to such inappropriate content. This has become an increasingly worrying trend, she remarked to reporters after attending the 115th International Women's Day celebration at UCSI University.
She announced that the MCMC will start enforcing a framework related to online safety this year under the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA) to strengthen user protection, particularly for women and children. The MCMC is developing regulatory instruments to hold platform providers accountable, ensuring faster removal of inappropriate or victimizing content.
Teo also encouraged students to use technology creatively and responsibly to contribute to a more inclusive society. She expressed hope for a future with greater gender equality, where men and women are treated equally.
In her speech, Teo highlighted that AI tools trained on existing gender biases are enabling violence against women to spread more rapidly and in more complex ways, exacerbating technology-facilitated abuse globally. She noted that with at least one in three women experiencing physical or sexual violence, the rise of powerful AI tools has created a 'perfect storm.'
Under the MADANI Government, the Online Safety Act 2025 and the Anti-Bullying Act 2025 have been established to strengthen safeguards against harmful content, online harassment, cyberbullying, scams, and digital exploitation. These acts provide clearer compliance obligations for platforms, stronger investigatory powers for regulators, and firmer penalties for offenders.