KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) 鈥� Malaysia said Thursday it has ordered to explain and address what it described as the social media platform’s failure to act swiftly against offensive, defamatory and fake content targeting the royal institution.
The Communications and Multimedia Commission said the move followed the circulation of 鈥済rossly offensive, false, menacing and insulting鈥� content, including AI-generated videos and manipulated images linked to an account falsely claiming association with .
Such matters fall within the sensitive issues of race, religion and royalty 鈥渨hich are highly sensitive and may undermine public order, national harmony and respect for constitutional institutions,鈥� the regulator said in a statement.
Despite prior notifications and engagements, it said TikTok鈥檚 moderation response especially in ensuring the prompt removal of such content and preventing further dissemination was unsatisfactory.
It said TikTok 鈥� which has not publicly commented on the case 鈥� has been issued a legal notice that requires it to explain its moderation failures and undertake immediate remedial measures, including strengthening its content moderation mechanisms and improving enforcement against content that violates Malaysian laws and community standards.
The commission said social media platforms operating in Malaysia are expected to exercise greater responsibility in preventing unlawful and harmful activities on their services.
It warned it would continue to take 鈥渇irm and proportionate action鈥� to ensure digital platforms comply with their responsibilities in maintaining a safe and respectful online environment.
The move comes amid s broader push to tighten oversight of digital platforms, with authorities in recent years stepping up enforcement against social media companies over harmful content, scams, online gambling and material deemed offensive or threatening to public order.
TikTok did not respond to a request by The Associated Press for comment.
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