Kuala lumpur: Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil today voiced concern over the tendency of netizens to accept information on social media at face value, urging them to verify content to avoid falling prey to scams.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Fahmi highlighted that content shared on social media differs from reports produced by mainstream media, which uphold strict journalistic ethics and integrity. He pointed out a worrying trend where many netizens believe everything they see online, with some even falling victim to scams, including those involving artificial intelligence (AI) such as deepfakes.

Fahmi cited examples of misinformation, such as false claims of a cable car service in Perak and misleading allegations surrounding the death of Zara Qairina, purportedly caused by being placed in a washing machine. He also mentioned a TikTok user claiming to be a pathologist, who was later revealed by the Health Ministry not to be a doctor and had a history of scams.

Additionally, Fahmi noted that the Sabah Journalist Association has criticised influencers who attended a press conference on Zara Qairina’s death, acting as if they were professional reporters. These individuals asked questions with the intention of creating content for personal gain, prioritizing financial returns over integrity and verification of facts.

To address this issue, Fahmi announced that the Information Department, the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), and the Broadcasting Department would be mobilised to produce content that educates the public on the reliability of social media information.

On a separate matter, Fahmi emphasized that the identities of five teenagers charged at the Kota Kinabalu Children’s Court cannot be revealed due to protections under Section 15 of the Child Act 2001, which mandates confidentiality in cases involving minors. Earlier today, these five teenage girls were charged with using abusive language against Zara Qairina last month.