KUALA LUMPUR – Facebook and Instagram owner Meta has agreed to provide feedback on the draft Code of Conduct for social media outlets which was published on October 22, following a meeting with the government, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
The minister said this assurance was made by Rafael Frankel, the public policy director for Meta Southeast Asia, during a meeting with him and the ministry’s Secretary-General Datuk Fauzi Md Isa, alongside Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) executive chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din.
In a social media post, Fahmi said the meeting focused on the preparedness of all parties for the enforcement of social media and internet messaging platform licensing, which is set to begin on January 1, 2025.
He said Meta expressed its views on the compliance requirements necessary for implementing the stipulated conditions, which include the Code of Conduct and the Online Safety Act, although it acknowledged that it has yet to fully examine these requirements.
Fahmi also emphasised the government’s intention behind the licensing.
“The aim of this licensing is to address the rise of crimes migrating to social media, including scams, online gambling, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes against children.”
The minister reaffirmed his commitment to listening to the views of all social media platforms, noting that the upcoming licenses will be classified as Class Licenses.
He said this licensing will apply to all platforms that meet the criteria, including those with a minimum of eight million users in Malaysia.
Previously, the MCMC announced that all social media and internet messaging services with at least eight million users in the country must apply for an Applications Service Providers Class (ASP(C)) license under the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 (Act 588).
The MCMC noted the government’s decision to mandate licensing for social media providers, effective January 1, 2025, is a proactive step aimed at safeguarding the interests and safety of users, adding that this regulation is also a crucial legal intervention to preserve national harmony.
In addition, Fahmi today said Meta has agreed to hold further discussions with the MCMC early next week to delve deeper into specific aspects of the licensing requirements.
Fahmi welcomed Meta’s willingness to cooperate on this issue, saying, “I appreciate Meta’s readiness to continue collaborating on this licensing matter.”
However, he also admonished Meta for its ongoing struggles to address child sexual crimes and grooming, particularly on its Facebook platform, urging the company to take a firmer stance.
“Meta needs to be much more proactive in combating groups on its social media accounts that are involved in sexual criminal activities.”
As Malaysia prepares to implement its new regulatory framework, which aims to combat online criminal activities, it has sparked debate regarding its feasibility and potential implications for civil liberties.
However, the MCMC has reported alarming statistics, with online scam losses totalling SG$687 million (US$506 million) from January 2020 to October 2023 and an increasing number of complaints related to hate speech.
This initiative follows similar regulatory measures enacted by the European Union through its Digital Services Act and Australia via its News Media Bargaining Code, aiming to hold social media platforms accountable for the content they host and its societal impact.
In early September, Fahmi said the government was developing a code of conduct for social media platforms out of concern that online fraud, cyberbullying and sexual grooming of children have migrated to these channels.
He indicated that the code was expected to be completed in October and emphasised that, according to police information, these crimes have migrated to social media but that the platforms have not been proactive in addressing the issues. – October 30, 2024
