WhatsApp, Telegram needs to crackdown criminal activities – Fahmi

WhatsApp and Telegram needs to crackdown on criminal activities on its respective platforms, said Communication Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

This measure is necessary to ensure a safer space for Malaysians to use amid complaints of sexual grooming, pornography distribution and online scams.

“There are many applications that are used such as WhatsApp and Telegram, we found that D11 from the police informed us that the WhatsApp application is widely misused for the sexual grooming of children.

“At the same time, Telegram was also misused before to upload pornography videos. We also get many complaints from ministers and former ministers who get messages from scammers,” he told reporters.

He also called upon the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to take charge of the matter.

“These platforms need to be more responsible,” he said.

“If they refuse to ensure that their platforms are free from criminal elements, we need to ensure that they comply with the laws of our country.”

He also spoke about making the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA) foolproof against future developments of technology.

Amending CMA for the future

The amendments among others would address cyberbullying and would be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat session in October.

“We don’t want the amendments to only address the now; we also have to think of the future as well as for the development and evolution of communication technology,” he said, Star reported.

“The amendments to CMA will not be only on Section 233.

“There are a lot of things we have to update. For example, a lot of the fines that can be issued to telcos or network equipment providers, network facility providers and network service providers.

“The rates are too low, they are from 1998 (and) we are now in 2024. So the rates have to be more proportionate to where we are (now), among other things.

“There are also a lot of changes to technology. We have to update the Act in accordance with a lot of these developments and evolution of the industry, so it won’t be just specifically on one (section).

“Section 233 would be one per cent of (the entire amendment). It is about the entire ecosystem,” Fahmi said.

On that note he also added other problems revolving cyberspace would be addressed as well.

“We recognise that we also have a lot of issues with scam, illegal online gambling, minors on social media – which is not allowed and against the community guidelines, and child sexual abuse materials, like paedophilia and pornography.

“There are many issues right now. What this cyberbullying case has brought to light is the need to work across ministries to develop a fuller approach and something that is not just addressing the now, but how do we also address the evolution with artificial intelligence.

“For example, we don’t know how social media will transform in the next few years,” he added.