Only Platform Providers Can Block Social Media Content And Accounts - Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 (Bernama) -- The act of blocking or removing social media content or accounts can only be carried out by the platform providers themselves, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

He said the government has no authority to instruct social media platform providers to take such actions, which are only carried out if the content or account is found to have violated the law.

“When a piece of content or an account is taken down or blocked, it means the platform acknowledges and complies with existing laws and believes that the content has breached those laws,” he said at a press conference after launching the Nadi Aspirasi Nasional Bersama Anak Muda (NANBA) programme here today.

Also present were Community Communications Department (J-KOM) director-general Datuk Ismail Yusop and Batu MP P. Prabakaran, who is also chairman of the Special Task Force Committee for the Indian Community Transformation Unit (MITRA).

Earlier, in his speech, Fahmi said 173,642 pieces of content had been taken down by social media platform providers from Jan 1 until yesterday.

Fahmi, who is also Lembah Pantai MP, said 51 per cent, or more than 90,000, of the total involved online gambling, while over 43,000 were scam-related, with the remainder linked to other criminal activities.

He said Facebook was identified as the platform with the highest number of online gambling and scam advertisements, followed by TikTok, while Telegram was found to be the weakest in managing scam-related issues.

“Of the content requested for removal on Telegram, half were scams, but the platform did not take down all of them. So we need to be firm with these platforms.

“Telegram representatives will be in Kuala Lumpur this week to continue discussions with MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission), covering, among others, scams, online gambling, child sexual abuse material, prostitution content, and copyrighted films or TV episodes previously accessible via various Telegram channels,” he said.

However, Fahmi noted that Telegram operates with limited human resources — around 50 personnel — despite having more than one billion user accounts worldwide.

Meanwhile, the NANBA programme, inspired by the Tamil word for ‘friend’, is a strategic J-KOM initiative that reflects the MADANI government’s commitment to strengthening ties with the Indian community, particularly youth, while expanding the inclusive and effective delivery of government information.

The programme also serves as an effective two-way communication platform to enhance public access to information related to policies, initiatives and various opportunities offered by the government, in addition to showcasing ongoing efforts to deliver services and information directly to the people.

-- BERNAMA