KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has removed 2,783 TikTok content between January 1 and September 30 this year, according to Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil (Lembah Pantai-PH).
He said the contents were removed due to violations of platform guidelines and local laws.
Speaking in Dewan Rakyat today, Fahmi said that enforcement actions were initiated against parties or users responsible for uploading illegal content on the platform to control and mitigate its spread.
“Enforcement actions were also taken against parties or users found uploading content that breaks the law on the platform, to control and curb the spread of illegal content,” he said when winding up speech for the 2024 Supply Bill debate covering his ministry.
“This action is based on the provisions of existing laws, as well as complaints from the public and affected parties.”
R. Yuneswaran (Segamat-PH) then chimed in to ask about the government’s approach in ensuring TikTok’s cybersecurity for national safety, acknowledging the concerns raised by several nations regarding the app’s potential vulnerabilities.
He mentioned the calls to ban the app on government mobile devices to prevent potential data breaches and highlighted the need to consider the security of devices used by the public.
In response, Fahmi noted that the ministry is actively examining these matters and plans to engage with other ministries to determine the most appropriate course of action, taking into account Malaysia’s unique legal and security challenges.
He also mentioned that the ministry is considering various measures, including the mandatory registration of social media platform service providers.
However, Fahmi clarified that the government has not made a decision regarding the blocking of TikTok shops at this time.
Last week, Fahmi revealed evidence of TikTok systematically removing Malaysia-related content related to the Palestine-Israel conflict.
This followed numerous complaints from users who had their content taken down or restricted, including content featuring Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s speeches at rallies.
Similarly, MCMC Consumer and Industry Affairs senior director Eneng Faridah Iskandar acknowledged various challenges faced by the agency on the platform, such as bot messages and curated content, even when users search for sensitive topics. – November 1, 2023