KUALA LUMPUR – The Communications Ministry has received good cooperation from internet messaging and social media service providers, whether licensed or still in the process, in its effort to ensure a safer and more sustainable internet ecosystem for users, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Minister Fahmi Fadzil said YouTube, for example, has taken down 5,115 pieces of content, including gambling advertisements, out of 5,167 pieces of content requested to be taken down between January 1 and February 12.
“This shows that although Google is currently not licensed, we can see very good cooperation being given in contrast to Telegram, where overall only 39% of the requests were handled.
“Here, we see that the platforms have different capabilities. I understand that the number of teams doing content moderation for Telegram is relatively small compared to other platforms.
“We not only view the regulatory framework as important but also understand the operational context for these platforms and help them streamline and simplify the actions that need to be taken,” he said during the Ministers’ Question Time.
Meanwhile, Fahmi said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has made it mandatory for social media and internet messaging service providers with at least eight million registered users in Malaysia to apply for an Application Service Provision Class Licence starting January 1, 2025.
He said the move aims to ensure that every registered internet messaging and social media service provider complies with its obligations under Act 588 and practices the Code of Conduct (Best Practices) published by MCMC, thereby increasing accountability for online content and interactions provided to users.
In addition, Fahmi said 5,026 gambling websites were blocked with the cooperation of Internet service providers from 2022 to February 1 this year, while 224,403 gambling content on social media platforms was taken down during the same period.
He said MCMC is also carrying out proactive monitoring to ensure that the internet environment in the country is free from illegal online content, including online gambling.
MCMC is also committed to providing cooperation to the police in terms of taking down social media content and blocking websites, as well as providing technical assistance, information and digital forensic analysis to speed up the investigation process related to online gambling offences, he added. – February 13, 2025