MCMC drafts online safety rules for social media, ad verification required
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said among the key areas being considered is the requirement for social media platforms to verify the identity of advertisers, in line with practices adopted in countries such as Singapore and Taiwan.
"In Singapore, advertisers are now required to verify their identities before placing ads on social media platforms. In Taiwan, platforms must disclose who paid for and created the ad.
"We are studying these measures and, if found effective, they will be included in the upcoming online safety code," she said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Teo was responding to a supplementary question from Chong Chieng Jen (PH-Stampin) on whether the government plans to amend existing laws to make it mandatory for social media platforms to filter advertisements and be held accountable for victims' losses.
She said the urgent need for tighter regulation stems from the growing number of scam advertisements on social media, including those impersonating high-profile Malaysians.
To date, MCMC has received 121 reports of scam ads impersonating well-known individuals, including the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Sultan of Pahang, the Sultan of Selangor, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, and former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz.
"MCMC has also submitted 121 requests to Meta regarding advertisements impersonating high-profile individuals," she added.
Teo said she herself has been a victim of scam advertisements.
"Recently, Facebook ads falsely claimed that I am giving away 2,000 copies of the book Rich Dad Poor Dad for free.
"I asked MCMC to report this to Meta, yet the ads continue to appear. Even after MCMC issued notices identifying the advertisements as scams, Meta continued to allow scammers to publish second, third and even sixth versions of the same ad," she said.
Meanwhile, she said social media platforms removed 46,817 scam-related content pieces from January to July 15 this year, following requests by MCMC.
The takedowns were based on public complaints and each platform's community guidelines, in line with local laws.
"The number of scam content removals has seen a sharp year-on-year increase. In 2022, only 242 scam items were taken down. This rose significantly to 6,297 in 2023, and then surged to 63,652 last year."
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