MCMC Seeks TikTok's Clarification On Rising Parental Concerns Over PK Battle Trend
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the ministry is taking the matter seriously, particularly regarding reports of children spending large sums of money on in-app gifts simply to participate in the trend.
He said an official directive was issued this morning, and the ministry expects TikTok representatives to respond soon, no later than this week.
'This issue has been reported by the media, and we are taking it seriously. Since TikTok has obtained its operating licence here, they need to come forward to provide an explanation and state what steps can be taken to resolve this problem,' he told a press conference after visiting the Kubang Semang National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI) here today.
Also present were Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa and Information Department director-general Julina Johan.
Fahmi also stressed that the government is committed to protecting minors from inappropriate content on social media platforms.
'That is why we have consistently said that children under 13 should not have accounts on TikTok, Instagram, or any other social media platform. They are highly impressionable and can easily be drawn into trends like PK Battle without understanding the consequences,' he said.
On May 28, a non-governmental organisation, Pertubuhan Damai Revolusi Masyarakat, submitted a memorandum to Istana Negara urging royal intervention to ban the PK Battle feature in Malaysia. The group also called on the government to consider the request, arguing that the trend undermines social values and promotes cyberbullying and humiliation.
On another development, Fahmi said that efforts to establish the Malaysian Media Council (MMM) are ongoing, though certain financial processes may take time.
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