Can social media licensing actually curb cybercrimes? Here’s how other countries with similar laws are doing

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Putrajaya is planning to license and regulate social media platforms from January 1, 2025, and yesterday the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) released extensive details on what the plan entails.

Such measures, however, are not limited to Malaysia as other countries have implemented strict laws to regulate social media platforms over the past few years.

The effort is supposed to compel companies to protect users from content involving violence, terrorism, cyber-bullying, scams and child abuse.

Until now, these platforms relied largely on self-governance without any specific law to hold them accountable in case of allowing dissemination of harmful content.

However, with the new measures, social media companies with at least eight million users will have to face the music and ensure harmful content is prevented from the platform or removed quickly to avoid actions by MCMC.

Malay Mail looks at how other countries have done with social media regulation and cybercrime prevalence status to better evaluate the effectiveness of such regulatory efforts.

Singapore

Neighbouring country Singapore passed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act in 2019 to combat misinformation and protect its people from harmful online behaviours, including cyberbullying.

The Act enables the authorities to issue correction orders or remove false or harmful content.

It, however, hasn’t helped much to combat the rising prevalence of scams and cyberbullying cases in the country.

According to statistics from the Singapore Police Force, over 46,000 scam cases were reported in the country last year, marking an eight-year climb in scam figures.

A recent survey by Singapore’s Digital Development and Information Ministry also found that more internet users are encountering harmful content such as cyberbullying or sexual content online, with the number rising to 74 per cent of those polled, which is up from 65 per cent in 2023.

Australia

In 2015, Australia created an eSaftey Commissioner under the Enhancing Online Safety Act to empower the government to demand social media companies take down harassing or abusive posts.

The legislation was introduced after the death of TV presenter Charlotte Dawson, who committed suicide in 2014 following a campaign of cyber-bullying against her on Twitter.

In June 2021, the government passed the Online Safety Act 2021 with updated regulations to keep Australians safe online.

Despite having measures in place, cyberbullying continues to be prevalent in Australia.

According to the latest available data eSafety Commissioner, 44 per cent of Australian young people reported having a negative online experience, with 15 per cent receiving threats or abuse online.

A 2019 study found that cyberbullying was the cause of at least three suicides per week in Australia.

Germany

Germany took a proactive approach in 2018 by implementing the Network Enforcement Act, known as NetzDG, to combat hate speech, illegal content and disinformation on social media platforms.

Under the law, social media platforms with over two million users in Germany must have mechanisms to address illegal content and act on complaints within 24 hours for urgent cases.

Despite the stringent law, statistics from 2022 show there were 136,865 cases of cybercrimes recorded by the police in Germany, making the number more than double in 10 years.

European Union

The European Union (EU) introduced a landmark piece of legislation called the Digital Services Act in 2022 to regulate digital services and online platforms.

The legislation was enacted as part of the EU’s effort to create a safer online environment.

While the legislation outlines clear online safety rules and regulations for a broad range of digital service providers, the Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment 2024 by the EU found that cybercrime is becoming more aggressive and confrontational in Europe.

It said in 2023, ransomware attacks, child sexual exploitation and online fraud remained the most threatening manifestations of cybercrime in the EU.

The report said while regulatory frameworks were adopted to strengthen digital systems, the human factor remained the weakest link in most cyber defence scenarios.