Social Media Platforms Granted Time to Automate Removal of Scams and Illegal Gambling Content

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 5 — Social media platform operators have been granted a grace period to configure their internal technical mechanisms to ensure the automatic removal of high-risk online content, particularly financial scams and illegal gambling, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil announced today.

Speaking at his weekly press conference, Fahmi stated that major platform providers have signaled their willingness to adhere to the newly introduced Child Protection Code (CPC) and Risk Mitigation Code (RMC) established under the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA).

“Through ONSA, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has introduced what is known as the CPC and the RMC. These two codes will be used to ensure that platforms comply with regulations related to online safety, including content involving scams and online gambling,” Fahmi said.

Fahmi, who also serves as the spokesperson for the MADANI Government, explained that while platform operators have expressed readiness to comply, they require time to align their automated systems to detect and take down flagged content without requiring manual intervention from Malaysian authorities.

“We are giving the platforms some time. They have indicated their willingness to comply, but they require some time to align their internal mechanisms to automate the removal of content that has been identified,” he added.

The urgency for automated content removal comes as official removal requests issued by MCMC have surged significantly, surpassing the total number recorded throughout the previous year.

“There is no denying that the number of takedown requests submitted by MCMC to platform operators, particularly concerning online gambling and scam-related content, has exceeded the number requested last year,” Fahmi noted.

The minister revealed that the manual handling of these takedowns has placed a substantial operational burden on regulatory personnel, as processing each individual content removal request requires approximately 30 minutes of administrative work by MCMC officers to prepare and file necessary legal documentation.

In a separate development, Fahmi disclosed that the Cabinet has directed the Ministry of Health’s National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health (NCEMH) and the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) to deepen their engagement with social media platforms regarding self-harm and suicidal behavior.

“The roundtable discussion focused on ethical reporting practices, responsible dissemination of information, and closer collaboration among various stakeholders in efforts to prevent suicidal behaviour,” Fahmi said, adding that the Cabinet noted the urgent necessity for NCEMH and CMCF to conduct more comprehensive engagements with digital platform operators nationwide.

–NMT