Malaysia reports higher requests to block harmful content on Meta, TikTok

Malaysia on social media monitoring: Malaysia has called upon Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and TikTok to intensify monitoring efforts on their platforms, citing a surge in harmful social media content reported this year, according to a joint statement by the country's communications regulator and police on Tuesday.

In the first quarter of 2024 alone, Malaysian authorities referred 51,638 cases of concerning content to social media platforms, including Meta and TikTok, marking a strong increase from the 42,904 cases reported throughout the entirety of last year.

While the statement did not specify the nature of the reported content, the move aims to combat the dissemination of harmful material online, particularly content related to sensitive topics such as race, religion, and royalty.

Additionally, Meta and TikTok were urged to take action against content suggestive of coordinated inauthentic behaviour, financial scams, and illegal online gambling.

Given the sensitivity of race and religion in Malaysia, where the population comprises mainly Muslim ethnic Malays alongside significant ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, laws are in place to prohibit seditious remarks or insults directed at the monarchy.

The call for increased monitoring comes amid heightened scrutiny of online content in Malaysia in recent months, with the government facing accusations of restricting free speech. Despite such allegations, the government contends that its efforts are aimed at safeguarding users from online harms.

Previous data published by Meta and TikTok revealed a surge in the restriction of social media posts and accounts in Malaysia during the first half of 2023, reflecting an uptick in government requests for content removal.

(With Reuters inputs)