KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) yesterday released its regulatory framework requiring social media and messaging apps to apply for annual licences.
The framework was drawn up to compel social media and messaging platforms to ensure that users are safe from cyber criminals and illegal activities online.
According to the documents released yesterday, MCMC said the decision was based on rising trends in various cybercrime activities.
Here are four main reasons that MCMC said drove it to the drawing board for this new law:
1. Online harm affecting children
Citing latest studies, MCMC said recent trends showed a surge in online harm, especially those affecting children.
According to a Unicef report titled “Disrupting Harm in Malaysia: Evidence on Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse”, as many as 100,000 children in Malaysia were at risk of online sexual exploitation and manipulation in 2022.
2. Illegal online gambling
A January report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime highlighted a surge in illegal online gambling cases in Malaysia.
It said online gambling-related suspicious transactions reports (STRs) were nearly doubled between 2019 and 2022, totalling over 42,000 reports.
The report stated the value of related STRs also increased dramatically to more than RM26 billion in transaction volume during the same period, representing a 273 per cent increase.
3. Rampant cyberbullying cases
Based on MCMC’s record, the commission has received 9,483 reports of cyberbullying cases between January 2022 and July 2024.
MCMC said in extreme cases, cyberbullying has led to the deaths of victims, citing a recent case of influencer A. Rajeswary Appahu who was found dead in her home last month, a day after she lodged a police report in Kuala Lumpur over fears of being raped and killed.
4. Billion-ringgit worth of scams
MCMC cited increasing online fraud and scam cases as another reason for having such regulations in place.
It said Bukit Aman’s commercial crime investigation department report showed the number of online frauds in Malaysia has doubled from 17,668 cases in 2019 to 34,495 cases in 2023.
The online fraud cases resulted in a staggering RM1.4 billion in losses due to scams over the past four years.
