Latest news with #MCMC
Borneo Post
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Telegram ignored over half of Malaysia's takedown requests, says Fahmi
Fahmi says Telegram has shown the lowest compliance rate among all major social media platforms in Malaysia, acting on fewer than half of MCMC's takedown requests. – The Borneo Post photo KUALA LUMPUR (June 28): Malaysian authorities are escalating pressure on Telegram after accusing the messaging platform of routinely ignoring requests to take down harmful content — a move that has led to a rare civil suit and threats of stricter regulation. In a Free Malaysia Today report, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Telegram has shown the lowest compliance rate among all major social media platforms in Malaysia, acting on fewer than half of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) takedown requests. 'I have ordered MCMC to call Telegram for a meeting next week to discuss the issue,' Fahmi told reporters today after an event in Pantai Dalam. The remarks come days after MCMC filed a civil lawsuit against Telegram and two of its prominent channels — Edisi Siasat and Edisi Khas — for allegedly disseminating content that could erode trust in public institutions and threaten social order. The regulator said the two channels had published material in breach of Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and that this was the first time legal action had been taken against a social media platform with a local licence. Telegram is registered as an application service provider (class) in Malaysia. 'The move follows Telegram's serious failure to address content that has been repeatedly reported to it, despite multiple negotiation and cooperation efforts by MCMC,' the commission said in a statement. Fahmi added that MCMC had flagged over 1.18 million pieces of harmful content across platforms as of June 24 this year. Only 173,642 of those were removed. 'Of this number, 51 per cent of the content removed were online gambling ads, while 24 per cent were online scams,' he said. 'We will take strict action to ensure Malaysians do not become victims of cybercrime.' While MCMC has no power to directly remove content itself, it can issue requests and expects platform providers to comply. Fahmi stressed that the platforms ultimately bear the responsibility for restricting access to such material in Malaysia. – Malay Mail fahmi fadzil harmful content take down request telegram
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Telegram acted on less than half of takedown requests
KUALA LUMPUR: Telegram has the lowest compliance rate among major social media platforms in Malaysia, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. He said that the platform acted on fewer than half of the takedown requests submitted by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). "Telegram has acted on less than 50 per cent of the takedown requests we submitted. "Among all platforms, they have shown the lowest level of cooperation with the Malaysian government," he said at a press conference after attending the Nadi Aspirasi Nasional Bersama Anak Muda (Nanba) Programme at IWK Eco Park here. He said this days after MCMC filed a civil lawsuit against Telegram and two of its high-profile channels, Edisi Siasat and Edisi Khas, over content allegedly published in breach of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. The regulator said the material disseminated on the two channels could undermine trust in public institutions and threaten social order. MCMC described the lawsuit as a landmark move, marking the first time legal action has been taken against a social media platform with a local licence. Telegram is currently registered as an application service provider (class) in Malaysia. "The move follows Telegram's serious failure to address content that has been repeatedly reported to it, despite multiple negotiation and cooperation efforts by MCMC," the commission said in a statement. Fahmi said the platform's lack of responsiveness is particularly concerning as it is increasingly used to spread illicit content such as online gambling ads and pirated films or TV shows. He added Telegram representatives are expected to meet with MCMC in Kuala Lumpur this week to resume discussions on compliance and enforcement. "Telegram operates with a small global team estimated at around 50 employees, despite having roughly one billion users. "They rely heavily on automation and AI for moderation, but differences in legal frameworks between countries cannot justify ignoring Malaysian regulations," he said. Between Jan 1 and June 26 this year, MCMC received 188,528 complaints involving various digital platforms, of which 173,642 resulted in content takedowns. Online gambling made up the largest portion, followed by scams, bullying and harassment, and obscene content involving children.
Daily Express
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Telegram ignored over half of Malaysia's takedown requests, says communications minister
Published on: Saturday, June 28, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jun 28, 2025 By: Malay Mail Text Size: Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Telegram has shown the lowest compliance rate among all major social media platforms in Malaysia, acting on fewer than half of MCMC's takedown requests. — Bernama pic Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian authorities are escalating pressure on Telegram after accusing the messaging platform of routinely ignoring requests to take down harmful content — a move that has led to a rare civil suit and threats of stricter regulation. In a Free Malaysia Today report, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Telegram has shown the lowest compliance rate among all major social media platforms in Malaysia, acting on fewer than half of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) takedown requests. 'I have ordered MCMC to call Telegram for a meeting next week to discuss the issue,' Fahmi told reporters today after an event in Pantai Dalam. The remarks come days after MCMC filed a civil lawsuit against Telegram and two of its prominent channels — Edisi Siasat and Edisi Khas — for allegedly disseminating content that could erode trust in public institutions and threaten social order. The regulator said the two channels had published material in breach of Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and that this was the first time legal action had been taken against a social media platform with a local licence. Telegram is registered as an application service provider (class) in Malaysia. 'The move follows Telegram's serious failure to address content that has been repeatedly reported to it, despite multiple negotiation and cooperation efforts by MCMC,' the commission said in a statement. Fahmi added that MCMC had flagged over 1.18 million pieces of harmful content across platforms as of June 24 this year. Only 173,642 of those were removed. 'Of this number, 51 per cent of the content removed were online gambling ads, while 24 per cent were online scams,' he said. 'We will take strict action to ensure Malaysians do not become victims of cybercrime.' While MCMC has no power to directly remove content itself, it can issue requests and expects platform providers to comply. Fahmi stressed that the platforms ultimately bear the responsibility for restricting access to such material in Malaysia. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Malay Mail
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Telegram ignored over half of Malaysia's takedown requests, says communications minister
KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — Malaysian authorities are escalating pressure on Telegram after accusing the messaging platform of routinely ignoring requests to take down harmful content — a move that has led to a rare civil suit and threats of stricter regulation. In a Free Malaysia Today report, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Telegram has shown the lowest compliance rate among all major social media platforms in Malaysia, acting on fewer than half of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) takedown requests. 'I have ordered MCMC to call Telegram for a meeting next week to discuss the issue,' Fahmi told reporters today after an event in Pantai Dalam. The remarks come days after MCMC filed a civil lawsuit against Telegram and two of its prominent channels — Edisi Siasat and Edisi Khas — for allegedly disseminating content that could erode trust in public institutions and threaten social order. The regulator said the two channels had published material in breach of Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and that this was the first time legal action had been taken against a social media platform with a local licence. Telegram is registered as an application service provider (class) in Malaysia. 'The move follows Telegram's serious failure to address content that has been repeatedly reported to it, despite multiple negotiation and cooperation efforts by MCMC,' the commission said in a statement. Fahmi added that MCMC had flagged over 1.18 million pieces of harmful content across platforms as of June 24 this year. Only 173,642 of those were removed. 'Of this number, 51 per cent of the content removed were online gambling ads, while 24 per cent were online scams,' he said. 'We will take strict action to ensure Malaysians do not become victims of cybercrime.' While MCMC has no power to directly remove content itself, it can issue requests and expects platform providers to comply. Fahmi stressed that the platforms ultimately bear the responsibility for restricting access to such material in Malaysia.
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Nation records 188,528 complaints involving social media platforms logged within 6 months
KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 188,528 complaints involving various social media platforms were logged between Jan 1 and June 26, with online gambling making up more than half of all takedown requests. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said out of the total, 173,642 resulted in content removals or account restrictions. "Online gambling led the category with 96,240 complaints and 90,770 takedowns, followed by scam-related content with 45,933 complaints and 43,865 takedowns. "Bullying and harassment saw 24,283 complaints, with 19,440 removals, while 74 reports were lodged over obscene content involving children, leading to 21 takedowns," he said in a press conference after attending the Nadi Aspirasi Nasional Bersama Anak Muda (Nanba) Programme at IWK Eco Park here. Fahmi said these figures highlighted the severity of content abuse on digital platforms and the need for stronger cooperation between Malaysian authorities and platform providers. He also confirmed that Telegram representatives were scheduled to meet with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) here soon to discuss enforcement issues. Among the issues to be highlighted in the meeting are online scams, gambling, child sexual abuse materials, pornography and copyright infringement. "Telegram has about a billion users worldwide but only around 50 employees. They rely heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to moderate content. However, he said legal differences across countries had made enforcement difficult, citing online gambling as an example. "In Malaysia, online gambling is illegal, but in countries like Vietnam it may be allowed. "This makes compliance inconsistent, and that's why discussions with Telegram is important to ensure it follows our laws." He stressed that only the platform itself had the authority to block or remove any content or account. "If the platform does not agree (with a takedown request), unfortunately no action can be taken. "But when content is removed, it means the platform recognises it violates our laws," he said. Fahmi singled out Facebook as the leading platform for online gambling advertisements, calling it the "biggest offender", followed by widespread scam activity on both Facebook and TikTok. "This is not just about Telegram. Every platform is being misused differently by bad actors. The MCMC continues to take strong and comprehensive action against such abuses," he added.
