By A. Ananthalakshmi
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Short video application TikTok has shown an unsatisfactory level of compliance with the laws of Malaysia, the country’s communications minister said on Thursday, stressing it had not done enough to curb defamatory or misleading content.
TikTok must be more proactive in curbing the spread of fake news and defamatory content on its platform, minister Fahmi Fadzil said in a social media post after meeting with TikTok representatives.
TikTok’s unsatisfactory compliance with Malaysian laws “must be rectified immediately”, Fahmi said, adding the social media firm had acknowledged its shortcomings due to the absence of a representative in the country at present.
A spokesperson for TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the meeting or the minister’s remarks.
Malaysia has increased scrutiny of online content in recent months as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration vowed to curb what it deems provocative posts that touch on race, religion and royalty.
