Over 127,000 scam‑related posts removed, mostly from Facebook and TikTok, says Fahmi

The Malaysian government reported that Facebook and TikTok were responsible for the vast majority of scam-related content that was removed, with 127,568 posts taken down as of the latest update on August 19. Government spokesman Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil revealed that 27% of the content flagged for removal was deemed fake, including misinformation about the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme, which had not been officially announced by the Finance Ministry.

Fahmi stated that out of the total flagged content, 53% of it was on Facebook, 39% on TikTok, with the remaining posts scattered across various social media platforms. He emphasized that fake accounts were a significant concern due to their ease of creation and ability to rapidly disseminate false information. Most of these fraudulent accounts allegedly use Facebook and TikTok for their scam activities.

However, Fahmi noted that this figure is based on reported data only. He urged the public to verify the authenticity of content by visiting government platforms like Sebenarnya.my and MyCheck, as well as through mainstream media outlets. The government had also enacted two legislative codes, the Child Protection Code (CPC) and the Risk Mitigation Code (RMC), which social media platforms had agreed to comply with.

The compliance period is expected to last several months, during which they are required to take coordinated actions to prevent the spread of harmful content that could jeopardize property or life.