Gobind moots new law to hold social media platforms responsible for abuse

DIGITAL Minister Gobind Singh Deo has proposed a new law that would hold social media platform owners responsible for any social media misuse, including cyberbullying.

He said the issue of cyberbullying had jointly been raised by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said during the recent cabinet meeting.

The death of TikTok influencer A Rajeswari, who was known as Esha, was also discussed.

“To ensure there is no misuse and to prevent future instances of cyberbullying, I proposed the introduction of a new law where platform owners would be more accountable.

“We are serious about finding a solution to this issue and we need to send a clear signal to those concerned.

“We need to ensure that platforms are safe in terms of cybersecurity, personal data protection and most importantly cannot be misused by anyone,” he said in a statement.

Gobind stressed that cases of cyberbullying must be taken seriously and tackled immediately. 

“We need to ensure that laws are drafted to avoid misuse and if it occurs, swift action is taken,” Gobind stressed, adding that his ministry supported efforts by the communications minister to strengthen existing laws or to introduce new laws in the future.

Fahmi had earlier announced that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had asked the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and police to take stern action against cyberbullying.

The unity government spokesman said that the prime minister expressed his disappointment over the cyberbullying incident that led to the death of Rajeswari. – July 14, 2024.