MCMC and TikTok took down 8,071 undesirable videos, Dewan Rakyat told

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 8,071 undesirable videos were removed from TikTok since the beginning of last year up to Feb 15 this year, says Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

He said the Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), with the cooperation of the platform provider, saw to the removal of content that breached laws as well as TikTok's community guidelines.

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In a written parliamentary reply to Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan) on Wednesday (Feb 28), Fahmi said MCMC held several engagement sessions with TikTok to monitor the spread of undesirable content.

This included material that was slanderous, extreme and racial in nature and could jeopardise harmony in the country.

Fahmi then said that his ministry would take action against any individual or group, regardless of political affiliation, that violated the law.

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To a separate question by Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH-Bukit Bendera), Fahmi said MCMC had investigated 155 complaints under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for misuse of network facilities to transmit offensive content.

"Of these reports, 36 cases involved pornographic content, 66 were fake content, 47 were (distasteful), three threatening and three obscene," he said.

He added that three cases were brought to court with two resulting in RM5,000 fines being imposed, with one still pending.

He added that three cases were issued compound notices totalling RM75,000 and three others were given warning notices.

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"A total of 33 cases are still under investigation while 108 were (classified as) no further action (NFA) or no offence disclosed (NOD), " he said.

Fahmi noted that these investigations were strictly on the MCMC's part and did not include possible action by the police against the alleged offenders.