PETALING JAYA, Sept 3 – The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) removed 32,676 fraud and scam content between January and Aug 15, an increase from 6,297 in 2023.
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said Malaysia lost RM3.18 billion to online scams between 2021 and April 2024, but she believes the actual figure may be much higher.
She also said that the increasing number of cases and associated losses demonstrate the rising prevalence of cybercrime at an alarming rate, despite continued efforts and engagement with social media platform providers.
Given that social media platforms are becoming the primary domain for AI-generated content and viable alternatives are becoming scarce, Teo believes it is time to reconsider classifying them as public utilities.
“This means platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok could be treated as essential services similar to water, electricity or internet providers.
“This reclassification would subject these platforms to government regulation, ensuring better protection of user rights and the mitigation of harmful content. Similar to the oversight of traditional utilities, a licensing framework for social media and instant messaging platforms could help address issues like misinformation, privacy breaches and the spread of harmful material,” she said.
