KUALA LUMPUR – Government agency CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM) has been instructed to review popular video-sharing app TikTok for possible security breaches and suspicious activities.
Communication and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said this issue relates to government secrets after the European Union’s (EU) two biggest policy-making institutions banned TikTok from staffers’ phones citing cybersecurity reasons.
“I have instructed CSM to look into the matter after concerns were brought up by the EU.
“If needed, the ministry and the government will consider how to address the matter,” he told reporters after launching the 30GB Unity internet access prepaid package in Desa Rejang here today.
He added that the role of TikTok moderators in Malaysia has also become a controversial matter.
“Some people assume that the moderators are biased or prejudiced. I have been in contact with TikTok Malaysia. For me, the accusation is very serious because it gives the impression that there is a party infiltrating 4,000 TikTok moderators.”
The individuals concerned, he said, had allegedly carried out behind-the-scenes operations to promote certain parties.
“This allegation is very serious. I invite TikTok to review its moderators. We don’t want the public to misunderstand that there are restrictions on speaking out, but we want to avoid spreading slander.”
TikTok, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, is under scrutiny due to concerns that the China government could use it to harvest user data, among others.
Last December, the US Senate passed a bill to ban federal workers from installing TikTok on government-owned devices. TikTok is also banned in India. – The Vibes, February 28, 2023
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