PETALING JAYA: A system to hold social media platforms accountable for not complying with local laws and regulations is necessary, says an expert.
Malaysia Cyber Consumer Association president Siraj Jalil said that while fining individuals could help address some issues, it is equally important to ensure that platform owners are also held responsible for the content they allow on their sites.
“This approach would encourage these companies to invest more in moderation and compliance mechanisms, ultimately making the online space safer for everyone,” he said.
On Wednesday, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) monitoring found varying levels of compliance with Malaysian laws across different social media platforms.
Meta platforms showed higher compliance, with Facebook at 85%, Instagram at 88% and WhatsApp at 79%.
In comparison, TikTok stood at 76% and Telegram at 65%. X (formerly Twitter) significantly lagged at 25%.Fahmi also said the police, MCMC and Attorney General’s Chambers will collaborate to take immediate action against cybercrimes committed on social media platforms.
Derek Fernandez, a member of the MCMC, said the imposition of a legal regulatory framework will lead to a much higher level of commitment from these platforms to protect their uses.
He said social media platforms face significant regulations in other countries, including the European Union, the United States, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore.
“In the EU, for example, fines based on a percentage of a platform’s gross revenue highlight the seriousness of the EU regulators and EU digital sovereignty framework towards platforms taking seriously shared responsibility for effectively combating online harms and cybersecurity threats.
“Such fines are certainly effective in showing regulatory seriousness towards platforms that use their best efforts to prevent cybercrime on their proprietary platforms,” he said.
Fernandez said proper regulation would make platforms legally obligated to respond to complaints of cybercrime, child sexual abuse material, and online harassment, and that they would be held liable if these issues are ignored.Meanwhile, a child rights advocate is calling for stricter laws that require tech companies to quickly remove images of child sex abuse when they are reported.
Srividhya Ganapathy, co-chairperson of the Crib Foundation, a non-governmental organisation focusing on action for child protection, emphasises the need for an effective takedown policy.
“What we need is a takedown policy where a child can call and report an image, which will result in an immediate action to takedown the images.
“We need laws in place to enable this, including laws to compel online platforms and tech firms to take extensive measures to remove child sex abuse material and protect children from further harm.
“More often than not, in situations like this, children will be too afraid to disclose to their parents or teachers.
“In these circumstances, the best solution is to provide children with a direct way to complain,” she said.
Through her work on the Talisman Project, which empowers and educates children about online safety, Srividhya has met children as young as 10 years old who have shared their encounters with online predators.
She said some victims would find themselves in an endless nightmare, as the individuals who received their photos would then share them in other groups on social media.
“The compromising content stays online because there is a wide network of online predators and there is a vast global market for the sale of child sexual abuse materials,” she said.
Srividhya also wants the government to take measures that are not just immediate but those that are also well researched “and which would place Malaysian systems for the protection of children online on par with global standards”.
According to Siraj, he said children, teenagers and women are most vulnerable to cyberbullying and online harassment while the elderly and those unfamiliar with technology are prime targets for various cybercrimes.
