Prominent M’sians including PM featured in removed social media posts
KULAI: Over 63,000 scam-related social media posts were taken down last year, marking a tenfold increase compared to the previous year, says Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.
She revealed that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had requested the removal of only 6,297 scam-related social media posts in 2023, but this number surged dramatically to 63,652 in 2024.
“This is a significant increase, and these figures are based solely on MCMC’s requests. There could be more such content that has not yet come to our attention,” Teo said after attending the Kampung Angkat Madani programme at Felda Bukit Permai yesterday.
She highlighted that the removed content included deepfake videos featuring prominent individuals such as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, former Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz and badminton legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei.
“In today’s world, with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology, creating deepfake videos has become alarmingly easy.
“For example, a recent deepfake video showed Tan Sri Zeti sharing investment tips and experiences in fluent Mandarin.
“Such videos are often used by scammers to trick people into joining WhatsApp groups, eventually leading to scams,” she explained.
Teo urged social media platforms, including Meta and TikTok, to notify users if content is AI-generated.
“We’re not saying AI-generated content cannot be used, but we hope these platforms can at least include a note to indicate when content is created using AI.
“Social media platform providers should also pay attention to the paid content being promoted on their platforms, as some may come from scammers preying on users,” she said.
On a separate matter, Teo provided updates on the National Digital Network (Jendela), reporting that 1,460 out of 1,661 telecommunication towers planned under Phase One have been completed.
“Of the completed towers, 1,087 are already operational. Only seven – one in Kelantan and six in Sabah – have yet to begin construction.
“We are working with the relevant departments, including district offices, land offices and state governments, to help us obtain the necessary approvals for contractors to proceed,” she said.
Teo added that Phase One of Jendela, launched in 2020 as a government initiative to provide quality and affordable digital connectivity, is expected to be completed this year.
