Malaysia demands TikTok explain failure to moderate royal content
Malaysia's communications regulator announced on Thursday that it has issued a statutory demand to social media platform TikTok, alleging the company failed to take sufficient and timely action in moderating offensive and defamatory content aimed at the country's monarchy.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) stated that the enforcement action stems from the online circulation of content linked to a suspicious account purporting to be associated with Malaysia's King, Sultan Ibrahim. According to the regulator, the flagged posts included material that was "grossly offensive, false, menacing and insulting in nature," featuring AI-generated videos and manipulated images that potentially violate local laws. TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, did not immediately respond to requests for comment, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The MCMC emphasized that it takes a strict view of any platform misuse that targets Malaysian rulers. "Such matters fall within the broader context of race, religion and royal issues, which are highly sensitive, undermines public order, national harmony and respect for constitutional institution," the commission said in a statement.
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Despite prior warnings and official engagements, the regulator found TikTok’s content moderation response to be unsatisfactory, particularly regarding prompt removal and stopping the viral spread of the harmful material. The statutory demand officially requires TikTok to implement immediate remedial measures, strengthen its local content moderation mechanisms, and provide a formal explanation regarding its alleged moderation failures.
The move comes as Malaysia steadily ramps up its scrutiny of major social media companies following a sharp rise in harmful online content. As part of a broader regulatory push, the government also plans to introduce mandatory age verification for social media users later this year, aligning with global efforts to limit platform exposure among minors.
By Aysel Mammadzada
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