Friday 29 Mar 2024
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(Aug 17): The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is set to engage social media platform providers such as Facebook (FB), Google and Twitter, to deal with "rumours and false information" on the Internet.

Its minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak said that with the issue of false information taking centre stage in the media, especially on online news portals, the level of cooperation between the authorities and social media platform providers needed to be stepped up.

"I have instructed MCMC to meet social media platform providers – Facebook (FB), Google and Twitter soon to seek their cooperation to stem the increasing tide of false information and rumours from spreading via their social media applications," he said on his blog today.

As a responsible government, Salleh said they had an obligation to protect citizens from harm, including from threats posed by postings on social media and the Internet.

He said this was because posting sensitive or unverified information might spark an untoward situation that could jeopardise public safety.

He said that although authorities could restrict access or block such applications, they would not do so because the majority of social media users were using such applications positively and not for negative purposes.

"However, this does not mean that the public can post information unchecked without respect or regard to the law.

"The online environment is not a lawless space and action can be taken against anyone found to have breached the law, including in the online space," he said.

Salleh said that in 2014, approximately 78% of MCMC's requests for removal of content were acted upon by social media providers, with FB acting on approximately 81% of MCMC's requests.

He said the latest figures as at end of July 2015 showed that 49% of requests had been acted upon.

"While social media providers have been cooperative, we are requesting them to be more sensitive with our local environment," he said.

Early this month, Salleh reportedly said that he saw the need for a review of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) because Malaysians regarded the social media and Internet as a lawless domain.

He said the CMA needed to be reviewed to strike a balance between not stifling free speech and continuing with freedom of information while at the same time protecting Malaysians from criminal acts that appeared to have become the trend of late. – The Malaysian Insider

 
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