Malaysia urges Meta, TikTok to curb harmful content

Hanoi - Malaysia on April 9 required tech giants Meta and TikTok to come up with plans to counter harmful content online.

As reported by The Straits Times, the move came after a spike in reports on offensive material made to social media platforms.

The Malaysian government reported nearly 52,000 cases of harmful content on various platforms, including Meta’s Facebook and TikTok, in the first three months of 2024, compared to about 43,000 for the whole of last year.

The authorities said they were particularly concerned about posts related to race, religion and royalty.

Malaysian Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Liew Chin Tong said the government is committed to developing the semiconductor industry which is now a strategic income source for the country.

The Dewan Negara (upper house) of Malaysia passed the Cyber Security Bill 2024 on April 3 to enhance the nation’s cyber security through compliance with specific measures, standards, and processes in managing cyber security threats.