MY govt to take action against cyberbullying and troll farms on social media platforms, says Fahmi

The communications ministry will be taking action against several social media platforms to address cyberbullying, said communications minister Fahmi Fadzil. Speaking to media at the National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang 2024 launch ceremony on 21 July, Fahmi said social media platforms don't take issues that Malaysia is currently facing seriously. 

The decision to take action comes after discussions with three other ministries, namely the digital ministry, the home ministry and the prime minister's department. Following which, the ministries will be collaborating to examine three to four specific issues related to the matter. One of the issues includes updating existing laws and ensuring that they are implemented effectively. 

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The ministries will also be examining the technology available today such as AI and social media platforms, and will be focusing on the technical aspects to facilitate investigations and the prosecution process. This includes framing the charges, particularly in the case of influencer Rajeswary Appahu who committed suicide due to alleged cyberbullying from a TikTok live session. 

Fahmi added that he had seen excessively harsh comments on TikTok live sessions, where other viewers are seemingly encouraged to behave inappropriately and participate in bullying too. In addition, the government will reportedly be implementing measures to address the proliferation of 'troll farms', scams and gambling advertisements too. 

He reportedly said that the existence of 'troll farms' creates an environment that is not peaceful and that intelligence from TikTok indicated that 'troll farms' were being used to spread negativity on the platform. As long as troll farms are prevalent, it can create a tense situation and may even lead to loss of life, Fahmi reportedly said.

Fahmi's comments on Sunday come after Malaysian digital minister Gobind Singh Deo proposed a new law to hold social media platforms accountable for abuse on its platform, including cyberbullying, last week.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the minister said that he, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil and minister of law and institutional reformation Azalina Othman have raised the issue of increasing cyberbullying measures following the recent death of TikTok influencer A. Rajeswari during a cabinet meeting held on Friday (12 July). 

During which, the minister said that cyberbullying cases must be taken seriously and addressed immediately and that laws should be enacted to prevent any misuse of it. Such existing laws include the Communications and Multimedia Act, Torture Law and the Computer Errors Act, said Deo. 

In addition, he proposed that new laws also need to be considered to place liability on platform owners to ensure that no abuse occurs and if any, immediate actions can be taken to prevent such situations from continuing. 

Picture courtesy of Fahmi Fadzil/X

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