Kuala lumpur: Social media service providers have removed a total of 1,443 offensive and extreme content involving children across various digital platforms between January 1, 2022, and July 15 this year, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. He noted that the content was removed for violating the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, as well as the community guidelines set by the respective platform providers.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Fahmi made this statement in response to a question from Datuk Mumtaz Md Nawi (PN-Tumpat) during the oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat. The inquiry was about the regulatory measures implemented or planned to ensure platform algorithms, such as those on YouTube, do not continue to promote harmful content, often referred to as ‘brain rot’ content, particularly to children and teenagers.

Fahmi elaborated that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is actively engaging with platform providers like YouTube and TikTok. The aim is to ensure their algorithms are transparent and comply with local regulations, specifically focusing on limiting users’ exposure to harmful or negative content.

He further explained that starting January 1 this year, internet messaging and social media providers that meet licensing criteria must apply for a class licence for application service providers. This requirement is part of broader measures to regulate content and encourage responsible algorithm management.

The MCMC’s Code of Conduct also mandates measures such as age verification, effective parental controls, child safety features, and regular content audits. Fahmi highlighted the Safe Internet Campaign, launched earlier this year, which is being actively implemented in schools and higher learning institutes, with over 60,000 students participating to date.

The campaign targets 10,000 schools, higher learning, and teacher training institutes through various engagement initiatives and collaborations with student representative councils at public universities nationwide.