Nearly 160,000 harmful online content removed this year, says Fahmi
Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said 57% of the removed content was from Facebook, 28% TikTok, and 13% YouTube.
PETALING JAYA : Social media platforms Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube have removed 159,518 pieces of harmful content related to online gambling, scams, cyberbullying, and fake news as of yesterday, says communications minister Fahmi Fadzil.
These removals were part of 174,473 takedown requests made so far this year, Bernama reported him as saying.
'About 51% of the content involved online gambling, 25% were related to scams, 12% cyberbullying, and 9% fake news,' Fahmi said at the ministry's monthly assembly.
He said 57% of the removed content was from Facebook, 28% TikTok, and 13% YouTube.
These three platforms account for nearly 95% of the problematic content identified.
Fahmi also raised concerns about the continued presence of child exploitation content online, especially on Facebook.
'This raises questions about whether current laws and cooperation are enough, or if we need a more strategic approach,' he said, citing last year's joint operation, known as Op Pedo, between the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
On efforts to regulate social media, Fahmi noted that a new licensing framework introduced earlier this year aimed to make digital platforms safer, especially for children.
He also highlighted the Online Safety Act (OnSA) 2024, passed in Parliament last December and set to be enforced soon. The Act gives MCMC the authority to act against platforms that fail to meet safety requirements.
The OnSA has received royal assent from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim and is currently being prepared for enforcement.
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