Kuala lumpur: The act of blocking or removing social media content or accounts can only be carried out by the platform providers themselves, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. He stated that the government has no authority to instruct social media platform providers to take such actions, which are only carried out if the content or account is found to have violated the law.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, when a piece of content or an account is taken down or blocked, it signifies that the platform acknowledges and complies with existing laws and believes that the content has breached those laws. Fahmi made these remarks at a press conference following the launch of the Nadi Aspirasi Nasional Bersama Anak Muda (NANBA) programme.
Present at the event were Community Communications Department (J-KOM) director-general Datuk Ismail Yusop and Batu MP P. Prabakaran, who also chairs the Special Task Force Committee for the Indian Community Transformation Unit (MITRA).
Earlier in his speech, Fahmi highlighted that 173,642 pieces of content had been removed by social media platform providers from January 1 until the previous day. He noted that 51 per cent, or more than 90,000, of these were related to online gambling, while over 43,000 were linked to scams, with the remainder associated with other criminal activities.
Fahmi identified Facebook as the platform with the most online gambling and scam advertisements, followed by TikTok, while Telegram was noted for its deficiencies in managing scam-related issues. He emphasized the need for firmness with these platforms, particularly with Telegram, which failed to remove all scam-related content despite being requested to do so.
Fahmi mentioned that representatives from Telegram would be in Kuala Lumpur this week to engage in discussions with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). These discussions will cover issues such as scams, online gambling, child sexual abuse material, prostitution content, and copyrighted films or TV episodes previously accessible via various Telegram channels. He also pointed out that Telegram operates with limited human resources, with around 50 personnel, despite having over one billion user accounts worldwide.
Meanwhile, the NANBA programme, inspired by the Tamil word for ‘friend’, serves as a strategic J-KOM initiative that underscores the MADANI government’s commitment to strengthening ties with the Indian community, particularly the youth. The programme aims to enhance the inclusive and effective delivery of government information and serves as a two-way communication platform to improve public access to information on policies, initiatives, and opportunities offered by the government. Additionally, it showcases ongoing efforts to provide services and information directly to the public.