KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has called on Facebook to use artificial intelligence (AI) to combat harmful content, saying that the company, which earned RM2.5 billion from Malaysians last year, should have the resources to do so.

According to Utusan Malaysia, he emphasised that AI could play a crucial role in addressing three major types of online crime: scams and online gambling, cyberbullying, and child sexual exploitation.

"What is the purpose of AI? Facebook earned RM2.5 billion from Malaysians in 2023.

"Surely, they have the budget for automated screening to filter out criminal content,” he said at the Eighth International Search Conference, ‘Media Evolution — Navigating Sustainability and Disruption in a Dynamic World’, held at Taylor’s University here, yesterday.

Fahmi added that social media platforms were often slow in their response to harmful content, usually removing it only after complaints are received from authorities.

He urged these platforms to take a more proactive approach in helping the government combat illegal and immoral activities online.

Citing a recent case of Facebook pages linked to child sexual exploitation on the X platform, Fahmi explained, "The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has liaised with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for technical support, and I leave it to PDRM to handle the matter.”

Although Meta has since removed the offending content, Fahmi pointed out that the company’s response was reactive.

"Meta should flag such content from the outset, rather than only acting after an issue is raised.

"This is one of the reasons we are advocating for automatic licensing for these platforms,” he said.