MCMC to meet social media giants amid AI and deepfake worries

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will reportedly hold an engagement session with social media giants Meta, Telegram and TikTok this month.

Deputy communications minister Teo Nie Ching reportedly said that the meeting aims to discuss standard operating procedures (SOPs) and establish cooperation with the social media platforms to ensure that personal data is not misused.  

Teo said that stricter and effective SOPs is crucial to enable the MCMC and the Royal Malaysia Police to carry out investigations and that technological advancements and AI have enabled scammers to spread explicit images and content involving children, reported Bernama. 

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Speaking to reporters at a movie-watching programme with Kulai residents on Sunday, Teo reportedly expressed hope that through the engagement session, the social media platforms will implement self-regulation to manage criminal content. 

This is especially since technology will continue to advance and it is unreasonable not to utilise it, Teo reportedly said. 

However, Malaysians must be more cautious when sharing information on social media, not just personal details but also content involving children, the minister reportedly added. 

The minister reportedly stressed that once something is shared on social media, it is difficult to erase if someone else has downloaded the data. 

Earlier in August, it was reported that a special task force will be established to discuss aspects of social media regulation and enforcement. 

The task force would reportedly include the communications ministry, the home ministry, the legal affairs division of the prime minister's department, and the attorney-general's chambers. 

It will also reportedly be established to understand the issues faced by deputy public prosecutors. This is especially since the police require the MCMC's technical assistance for data preservation and profiling, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil reportedly said. 

Fahmi reportedly explained that the issue of deepfake investigations is relatively new and may require cooperation to understand the evidence, gather sufficient data and bring it all to court. 

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