The government is mulling to develop a social media platform specifically for Malaysians, according to communications minister Fahmi Fadzil. He said this consideration arises from concerns over the profit-driven motives of existing platforms and their inadequate measures to ensure user safety in the country.
Fahmi highlighted that social media giants like Facebook have significantly profited from the Malaysian market, citing an estimated earning of US$600 million (~RM2.6 billion) from last year alone. Despite these substantial profits, he said that the companies have not made sufficient efforts to safeguard the conditions and use of their platforms for local users.
“They lack commitment, so we need to study and assess the situation,” the minister told reporters during the “Himpunan Pembebasan Palestin” rally yesterday evening. “It is not easy to develop our own social media platform, but some countries have attempted it.”
It is quite likely that Fahmi is taking inspiration from platforms such as China’s Weibo, Russia’s VK.com, India’s Pixalive, and others. It is still unclear what features the homegrown social media platform would offer to users.
(Source: Bernama)
