On 23 June 2023, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced that it will be taking legal action against Meta Platforms Inc, the parent company responsible for popular social media platforms Facebook and WhatsApp. The government agency expressed dissatisfaction with Meta’s lack of cooperation and inadequate measures in addressing the presence of harmful content on their platforms.
But it looks like Meta is finally cooperating with the government, as the Communications and Digital Ministry (KKD) announced that the biggest social media company in the world is working together with KKD and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to tackle online crimes, according to Bernama.
Fahmi Fadzil, the Minister of KKD, stated that they initiated the action due to a surge in online fraud, gambling cases, and issues related to religion, royalty, and race.
He further revealed that Malaysians experienced losses of nearly RM330 million from January to May 2023 through Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp). This amount represents a 25% increase compared to the entire year of 2022.
After chairing a meeting with Meta, MCMC, and PDRM at the police headquarters in Bukit Aman yesterday, Fahmi Fadzil announced that Meta has committed to collaborating closely with MCMC and PDRM to combat online crimes. He expressed his belief that this cooperation will lead to a reduction in scams, online gambling, and issues related to religion, royalty, and race on the Meta platform.
Besides that, Fahmi stated that Malaysia has not yet taken steps to enact legislation that would make social media companies responsible for the removal of inaccurate and false information from their platforms, similar to what has been implemented in Australia.
It has been reported that Australia plans to introduce legislation that would hold social media companies accountable for their failure to remove false and misleading information from their platforms.
He mentioned that the government intends to maintain consistent and proactive communication with social media platform service providers to ensure that any breaches are appropriately addressed and resolved.
He added that establishing a robust engagement process and securing cooperation from social media service providers are sufficient measures to address issues concerning scammers, crimes or violations, as well as the sale of illegal products on e-commerce platforms.
