Social media user threshold may be revised after Grok issue, says Fahmi

The communications minister says the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has been tasked with looking into the matter.

Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said recent issues with Grok justified the need for a review of the minimum user threshold. (EPA Images pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The communications ministry is considering revising the minimum user threshold that requires social media platforms in Malaysia to register as an application service provider.

Minister Fahmi Fadzil said this comes after AI tool Grok generated harmful and obscene content involving women and children, Bernama reported.

He said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had been tasked with looking into the matter, including determining a suitable user threshold and the actions needed.

“We are in the process of evaluating this … while platforms like TikTok and Facebook are very popular in Malaysia, X might be less so.

“However, given the issues with Grok, the ministry and MCMC see a justification to review the decision regarding the user count in Malaysia,” he was quoted as saying after an event at a primary school in Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur.

Under the deeming provision of Section 46A of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, internet messaging and social media platforms with eight million or more users in Malaysia are deemed registered as ASP(C) licence holders from Jan 1.

MCMC previously said the threshold was intended to ensure large-scale service providers operate within Malaysia’s legal and regulatory framework. However, X has said its Malaysian user base has not reached eight million.

Separately, Fahmi said the government plans to implement age verification for social media users using official documents such as MyKad, passports and MyDigital ID.

He said the mechanism would likely involve electronic know-your-customer (eKYC) verification and would be tailored to Malaysia’s unique systems.

“We have mechanisms like MyKad, for example, which not all countries have. Since some of these aspects are unique to Malaysia, we will work on them according to our own needs,” he said. - FMT