The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) today announced that it will be taking legal action against social media conglomerate Meta. According to its press statement, the company has failed to respond in dealing with issues related to harmful content that are shared on Facebook, despite repeated requests by MCMC to have them taken down.
The regulatory body adds that the social media platform has been plagued by a significant volume of undesirable content relating to the aspects of race, royalty and religion, as well as defamation, impersonation, online gambling and scam advertisements. As it stands, MCMC says it is sternly intolerant towards any continuous and escalating misuse of online platforms, telecommunications, network or online facilities for malicious cyber activities, phishing or any content that threatens racial stability, social harmony and defies respect for the Malaysian royalty.
SKMM telah buat keputusan untuk ambil tindakan perundangan terhadap META.
Ini kerana keengganan pihak META bekerjasama menurunkan kandungan yang memudaratkan. pic.twitter.com/gOJemcucYj
— Fahmi Fadzil 🇲🇾 (@fahmi_fadzil) June 23, 2023
“Meta’s response, which has been sluggish and unsatisfactory, has not met the urgency of the matter and has led to increasing public concern and scrutiny,” the regulatory body wrote in the press statement. “As there is no sufficient cooperation from Meta, MCMC has no option but to take definitive steps or legal action against Meta as a measure to ensure that people are secure and protected in the digital sphere.”
MCMC further elaborated that the action is necessary in promoting accountability for cybersecurity and enhancing consumer protection against online harms, including fraudulent activities and scams. As of publishing this article, Meta has yet to release a statement of its own regarding this particular matter.
(Source: MCMC press statement)
