MCMC is investigating an Anthropic report alleging an AI-powered operation used fake X accounts and targeted political messaging to influence Malaysian voters.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is investigating an Anthropic report alleging that an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered influence operation used fake accounts and targeted political messaging to manipulate Malaysian voters.
MCMC said it was examining the report and would seek further information and clarification from relevant parties to establish the facts and assess the issues raised.
“For clarity, activities of the nature described in the report do not form part of MCMC’s functions or mandate, and MCMC does not engage in such activities or arrangements,” it said in a statement today.
According to Anthropic’s report, Detecting and Countering Misuse of AI: September 2026, the company identified and removed an account that allegedly used its Claude AI models to operate what it described as a commercial election-manipulation platform.
Anthropic said the operation allegedly used AI to profile voters by constituency, generate political content and operate about 1,000 fake X accounts to artificially amplify messages and evade detection.
The report said the campaign targeted sensitive political fault lines, including race, religion and royalty, across Malaysia’s 222 parliamentary constituencies.
It also alleged that the operation ran a fake news outlet, Malaysia Pulse, which used AI to rewrite legitimate news reports under fabricated bylines while producing dossiers containing false allegations against opposition politicians and civil society groups.
Anthropic said the operation was linked to BBS Bilisim Teknolojileri, a Turkey-based technology company that marketed an AI-driven political operations platform.
The report also claimed the actors had pursued a contract with Malaysia’s communications regulator, although Anthropic said it found no evidence that the bid was successful.
MCMC said it would determine the appropriate course of action based on the information and evidence available, while coordinating with relevant authorities where necessary.
“Protecting the public and addressing online harms remain central to MCMC’s responsibilities,” it said.
MCMC added that it would continue its efforts to maintain a safe and trusted online environment in Malaysia.
