PETALING JAYA: DAP deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo has called for an independent investigation into technology company Meta’s allegation that the police were behind troll farms on social media platforms.
The Puchong MP urged attorney-general (AG) Idrus Harun to explain if it was legally proper for the police to probe a claim made by Meta, against the police themselves.
“The AG must set matters right and direct that an independent probe be launched into the allegations. It would be best if persons not directly connected to the police and the allegations could decide if there is any basis to it,” Gobind said in a post on Facebook.
The former communications and multimedia minister also questioned if any delay in the investigation could be due to “an internal probe that may be contaminated with conflict”.
While Bukit Aman had initially denied Meta’s allegation, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani later said he had instructed the commercial crime investigation department (CCID) to review the allegation.
On Tuesday, Bukit Aman said it was still probing Meta’s allegation.
The following day, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang questioned why the police’s investigation of the case was taking so long, calling the IGP’s update on the probe “unsatisfactory” as it had been more than a month since Meta made its claims.
Having previously proposed a public inquiry headed by a judge or former judge into the matter, Lim hoped that the IGP would agree to this to restore the police force’s credibility in the eyes of the public.
On Aug 5, Meta alleged that the police may be behind a network of accounts and pages on social media that had attempted to manipulate public discourse in the country.
Meta owns Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and virtual reality firm Oculus.
The company stated that 596 Facebook accounts, 180 pages, 11 groups and 72 Instagram accounts were removed for policy violations against coordinated inauthentic behaviour.
It said these individuals were also active on TikTok and Twitter, where they posted memes in Malay in support of the current government coalition, with claims of corruption among its critics. - FMT
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