KUALA LUMPUR: The internet messaging service provider, Telegram, has been urged to cooperate with the government in efforts to tackle criminal activities that have been widely using the platform, as recently highlighted by the United Nations (UN).
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has held a meeting with Telegram on Sept 18 and will continue discussions in efforts to address the issue.
“I can see that day several forms of crime are still rampant on the Telegram platform, such as investment scams, drug sales, and also pornography, crimes against children, and sexual materials involving children.
“So, we are hoping that Telegram can cooperate on these aspects…and we are following closely what is happening in France,” he told a press conference after attending the 2024 World Post Day celebration here today.
Fahmi said that, for now, the government has no intention of taking action against any staff of Telegram as long as they provide the necessary cooperation.
The minister said that all social media platforms have been given two months to register with the MCMC and review the contents of the first draft of the Social Media Platform Code of Conduct, which is expected to be completed this month.
He said social media platforms that meet the criteria, namely having more than eight million users but fail to register for licensing, could face legal action.
“Recently, I had a bilateral meeting with the French Ambassador to Malaysia, H.E. Axel Cruau, and our discussions touched on the actions taken by the courts in France against Telegram.
“It has been widely reported and known that Telegram is now more willing to cooperate with enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, and even governments on certain matters,” he said.
Reuters reported that the UN revealed that powerful criminal networks in Southeast Asia have been using the Telegram app extensively, enabling a fundamental shift in how organised crime conducts large-scale illegal activities.
The UN, through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), made recent allegations against Telegram since France, using a tough new law with no international equivalent, charged its boss Pavel Durov for allowing criminal activity on the platform.
