GEORGE TOWN: The suicide of a 20-year-old woman in reaction to cyber bullying has drawn harsh criticism against social media providers.
Social activist Stanley Sudhagaran said the providers of the social media platform that allowed hurtful remarks to be posted should be reprimanded.
Three weeks ago, R. Thivya Nayagi was found hanging from the ceiling fan at her home in Bukit Tengah, Bukit Mertajam, following a string of unkind comments about her.
A video of Thivya dancing with a Bangladeshi colleague had earlier been posted on the TikTok site. It subsequently went viral, drawing criticism online. It was also shared on several fake Facebook accounts, including one under the name of “Joker Oruvan” that had 70,000 followers. The video drew thousands of comments, with some calling her names.
Stanley said social media providers such as Facebook or video sharing site TikTok should be held responsible for the content or remarks posted on their respective platforms.
David Marshel, president of social activism group Malaysian Tamilar Kural, said when people blindly follow a trail of negative comments against a person on social media, it could get fatal. In Thivya’s case, he said it was possible her suicide was triggered by those negative comments.
Stanley said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission should reprimand Facebook for allowing such content.
Batu Kawan MP Kasturi Patto said it is the responsibility of the authorities to curtail abuse.
International College of Clinical Hypnotherapy Practitioners Asia regional director Synthia Surin said steps must be taken to protect those suffering from mental illness.
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