MCMC rejects intolerant govt claim, says gambling, scams main reason for 72pc online content removal
53 per cent of the online content removal requests by MCMC across all platforms were related to online gambling. Additionally, 19 per cent involved online scams, 15 per cent was identified as fake news, 6 per cent were related to race, religion, and royalty (3Rs), and 5 per cent involved harassment.
(MMO) – Malaysia’s internet regulator today clarified that 72 per cent of content posted online was removed at requests because they promoted gambling and scams.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) denied that it was being used as a “state apparatus” to prevent public discussion on specific issues such as government policies and administration.
“MCMC wishes to emphasise that its primary duty, as outlined in the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA 1998), is to protect Malaysian Internet users and to ensure a safe online environment for all, especially children,” it said in a statement.
The commission was responding to veteran newsman R. Nadeswaran who wrote an opinion piece published on June 19 that suggested the Anwar administration was using agencies to crack down on dissent.
“In his article, the writer referenced data from TikTok’s bi-annual ‘Government Removal Requests Report’, suggesting that the government and regulatory bodies are intolerant of criticisms.
“This perception is inaccurate and does not reflect MCMC’s and social media platforms’ operations,” MCMC said.
It added that it will only submit requests to social media platforms when content is believed to have breached their community standards, the CMA 1998, or other Malaysian laws.
“The decisions to remove content is based on social media platforms’ own assessments,” it said.
