MCMC to review self-regulation of apps, social media platforms

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commiassion (MCMC) today said it would review the country's self-regulatory framework, citing an increasing level of content being exploited by criminals and those seeking to threaten public safety and national harmony. 

In a statement, it said some over-the-top applications and social media platforms had not been effective in self-regulating the use of their platforms. 

"Therefore, stricter regulatory oversight and intervention by regulators is needed to protect public interest and users," MCMC chairman Mohamad Salim Fateh Din added. 

"MCMC will not tolerate the continuing and esclating abuse of online platforms and telecommunications, network or online facilities for the purpose of facilitating scams, malicious cyber activities, fraud, phishing, content that threatens racial stability, religious harmony and showing contempt for the rulers.

"We will act against those who violate the laws." 

He added that the commission would work with the police, Bank Negara Malaysia and the National Anti-Financial Crime Centre towards this goal. 

MCMC said the concerns followed the observation of an increasing number of scams, with 11,858 scam complains received as of April since the inception of the National Scam Response Centre in October 2022. 

"Statistics obtained from the commercial crime police for the period between 2021 and April 2023 revealed that losses as a result from scams amounted to RM1.2 billion. 

"In the meantime, from 2021 to April 2023, 2,125 fake news had been reported to MCMC. Upon reviewing the number of abuses and harm caused that were left unchecked by the platform providers, MCMC strongly recommends regulatory oversight and intervention to curb this issue," it said. 

It said such obligations included imposing and enforcing obligations on those who operate such platforms and those who profit from digitalisation, to take "strong and verifiable measures" to ensure that their platforms or networks are not used as a forum to break the country's laws or threaten public interest. 

"MCMC, as the regulator of the converged industry in Malaysia, will also be reviewing the regulatory approach to enable a higher degree of oversight through the current legal instruments. 

"This may include a review of the exemptions on certain activities as well as imposing criminal sanctions and punitive orders against entities that wilfully refuse to take immediate steps to ensure that criminal activities occurring on their network or platform are stopped," it said.