Cyber crimes, dissent and social media
There are merits and demerits to the move but the government faces a trust deficit.
It was a busy week for me as I was checking out Tech in Asia’s maiden conference in Kuala Lumpur. I even moderated a session on Day 1. I’ll put down something for the next “News, ideas and everything in between” edition.
Certainly way better than KL20, I have to say. And I am biased as I am contracted to TIA.
But as I enjoyed the hype and the talent, I still came out doubtful on Malaysia rising above the rest of its peers to take pole position in the startup and tech race.
Always glad to be proven wrong here.
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Malaysia will be regulating social media platforms starting January next year.
The move, according to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, was to tackle the rise of cyber offences such as online scams, cyberbullying and sexual crimes against children.
These are real problems. But since Saturday’s announcement, there have been gaps that the country’s internet regulator has yet to fill. MCMC will only do so on Thursday.
That’s where today’s brief comes in. I’ll lay out what the regulator said in its statement but also add information from an FAQ I sighted and also findings from sources close to the matter.
Also, since this is also a topical story, readers will be notified of material updates.
Let’s get to it.