Govt Will Continue To Block Immoral Social Media Platforms Says Fahmi

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Communications and digital minister Fahmi Fadzil said more than 7,000 illicit websites have been blocked since 2018. (Bernama pic)KUALA LUMPUR: The communications and digital ministry will carry on blocking social media platforms with content that can influence, affect and compromise public morals, minister Fahmi Fadzil said.
He said the blocking by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) also covers websites used to promote sex products and deviant sexual practices.
Fahmi said a total of 7,097 such websites were blocked between 2018 and Nov 30, and similar action will continue to be taken to curb social media misuse.
“We are serious about and committed to curbing social media misuse on various gadgets that could breach our country’s laws, including sex and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) content and ads.
“Besides monitoring for acts or content that contravene the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988, steps to curb such cases will be followed by bringing down such content, enforcement and prosecution,” he said while winding up the debate on the supply bill 2024 for the ministry at the Dewan Negara today.
MCMC is also working with various social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram and TikTok to curb pornographic content on social media, Fahmi said.
A total of 599 instances of pornographic content were removed from early this year till Nov 30, with Instagram registering the highest number at 107, Facebook 54, Telegram 44, X 18, TikTok eight, and other platforms 368.
Fahmi also said the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) was identifying local digitalisation partners capable of providing support and consultancy services for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).
“MDEC is also encouraging digitalisation partners to offer freemium technology and digital solutions, so that the enterprises can use them for free.
“Interested enterprises need only produce payment when they want to use the full solutions,” he said, adding that such methods would help MSMEs identify the benefits of digital technology and solutions for their businesses and would boost usage among them.
He said it was being implemented after initial findings of the National MSME Digitalisation Roadmap (NMDR) by MDEC indicated that 36% of companies used emerging technologies, and that social media was becoming an important tool for customer experience in business, with 58% of MSMEs using social media to market their products. - FMT

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