Govt to set up special task force to discuss social media regulation

A special task force will be established next week to discuss aspects of social media regulation and enforcement.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said it will include his ministry, the Home Ministry, the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Department and the Attorney-General's Chambers.

The decision came after a meeting with Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairperson Mohamad Salim Fateh Din three days ago, he added.

“The police require MCMC’s technical assistance for data preservation and profiling, so we will establish this special task force in the coming days to thoroughly understand the issues faced by deputy public prosecutors.

“For instance, the issue of deepfake investigations, which is relatively new and may require cooperation to understand the evidence, gather sufficient data and bring it to court,” he said.

Fahmi said this after visiting and handing over personal donations to PR Puspa, the mother of the late social media influencer Rajeswary Appahu, popularly known as Esha, at her home in Bandar Baru Ampang today.

The minister added that addressing prosecution aspects is crucial to avoid issues like the recent case where an individual was only fined RM100, which he found unsatisfactory.

It was reported that Rajeswary was found dead in a condominium unit in Setapak on July 5, a day after lodging a police report regarding the cyberbullying she was facing.

Looking at smooth implementation

To tackle cyberbullying, Fahmi said the ministry, particularly MCMC, is working to ensure that the licensing process for social media platforms is implemented smoothly by Jan 1 next year.

“We observe that those involved in cyberbullying often use fake accounts, and we aim to reduce or eliminate these fake accounts in the future.

“Following my meeting with representatives from X, Meta, TikTok and WeChat in Singapore recently, they have expressed their willingness to be licensed.

“We are reviewing guidelines, and from Aug 1 until the end of the year, MCMC will meet with all stakeholders, including social media platforms, to develop a code of conduct and standards for social media platforms,” he added.

Fahmi hopes that with licensing, social media platforms will have a duty to care and be more responsible, taking action in cases of cyberbullying, extremist content and illegal activities such as drug trafficking and online gambling.

- Bernama

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