Malaysia’s possible amendments on its communications law is expected to crack down on “online harm, online gambling and scams.”
Malaysia’s expected amendments on its communications law is expected to tighten curbs on “online harm, online gambling and scams,” among others.
Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil bared this ahead of parliament’s hearing on the law last December 2.
“Our focus is on aspects of online harm, online gambling and scams, cyberbullying and sexual crimes against children or paedophilia,” Fahmi said after closing the Communications Carnival in Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur, the same day, as reported by Bernama.
Ahead of this, the Malaysian government, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), has requested to remove over 250,000 posts related to online gambling and scams on Facebook.
The MCMC has identified 172,072 online gambling-related items and 56,136 items linked to various fraudulent schemes. This proactive step by the MCMC underscores the government's commitment to combating these illegal activities, which not only violate local laws but also pose significant financial risks to Malaysian citizens.
During his parliamentary address, Fahmi highlighted the challenges faced by Malaysian authorities in regulating online content. He emphasized that while the MCMC can request the removal of harmful content from social media platforms like Facebook, it lacks the direct authority to enforce such requests.
Fahmi also shed light on the economic impact of online scams, revealing that Malaysians lost a significant RM432 million to fraudulent activities on Facebook in the previous year. He further noted that Facebook generated substantial revenue of RM2.5 billion from Malaysia, a significant portion of which came from advertisements, including those linked to online investment scams.
While the MCMC can request the removal of harmful content from social media platforms, it lacks the authority to enforce such requests. The decision ultimately rests with the platform itself.
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