MCMC comes up with guidelines for messaging app admins

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has come up with a list of of dos and don'ts for administrators of social network or messaging app groups.

The advisory, posted on its Facebook account, applies to applications or platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat, Viber and Telegram.

The MCMC said administrators should inform members the reason for setting up the group and consider setting basic ground rules. They also said administrators should not be inactive or absent.

It added that administrators should also be mindful of the platform providers' conditions of use and adhere to their community standards.

The MCMC also said that administrators should comment and check on posts to ensure discussions stay on track and should not incite or abet inappropriate posts.

It further recommended administrators to consider removing or blocking those who persist in making inappropriate posts.

The administrators should not be afraid to deal firmly with "trolls" or individuals who continuously breach ground rules.

Lastly, it said that administrators should cooperate with investigations by law enforcement agencies and not hinder them.

The MCMC said that administrators of WhatsApp groups could face legal action if they failed to stop the spread of false information, but only if there was a complaint.

However, it noted that conversations in messaging applications are private and an investigation would only be conducted if a complaint is made.