PETALING JAYA: All social media platforms should be part of Content Forum to ensure accountability of their impacts on the society, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
The Communications Minister said that social media providers should be responsible for the content shared on their platforms after raking in billions of ringgit in advertisements earnings.
“We must make sure these platforms join Content Forum, so that they need to be aware of the impact they have on Malaysian society.
“They cannot profit from our loss,” he said when launching the Suicide Content Guidelines at Menara Star here on Tuesday (June 3).
He added that such guidelines were important alongside participation in initiatives by Content Forum.
Fahmi also said that he was hopeful that the establishment of the Malaysian Media Council would further provide media organisations with a platform to comprehensively discuss and address various issues, including online harms.
In a press conference later, he also told reporters that the platforms should not “wash their hands off” of content that could fuel online harms including suicides and cyber bullying.
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He said that currently only TikTok has become a member of the forum and urged Meta to follow suit.
“It's actually in their interest that they participate so that they can help to develop certain best practises, codes of conduct,” he added.
Fahmi said the problem of social media platforms not collaborating with the authorities were also experienced by other countries in the Asia-Pacific region and Asean despite various laws pun in place.
“Many of these social media platforms feel that they are bigger than the laws of the countries in the Asia-Pacifc region.
“So it's not just a matter of laws but the attitude of these platforms,” he added.
The guideline is an industry-led, national framework that sets standards for how suicide-related topics are covered and shared in both traditional and digital platforms.
Also present at the launch were Content Forum chairman Rafiq Razali, Star Media Group chairman Tan Sri Wong Foon Meng, and Star Media Group chief executive officer Chan Seng Fatt, among others.
