KUALA LUMPUR —Telegram has been identified as the weakest social media platform in handling scam-related content, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said, highlighting concerns over its responsiveness to takedown requests amid a growing volume of fraudulent material.
“Of the content flagged for removal on Telegram, half were scams — but the platform did not act on all of them, Fahmi said.
“So we need to be firm with these platforms,” he told reporters after launching the Nadi Aspirasi Nasional Bersama Anak Muda (NANBA) programme in Kuala Lumpur today.
He said Telegram representatives will be in the capital this week to continue discussions with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), covering not just scam-related matters but also online gambling, child sexual abuse material, prostitution content, and pirated films or television episodes previously distributed via Telegram channels.
Despite having over a billion user accounts worldwide, Telegram reportedly operates with a lean team of around 50 personnel, which Fahmi noted may explain its limited enforcement capabilities.
In comparison, Facebook was found to be the platform with the highest number of online gambling and scam advertisements taken down, followed by TikTok.
Fahmi also revealed that from January 1 until June 27, social media platform providers had removed 173,642 pieces of content. More than 90,000 — or 51% — were linked to online gambling, while over 43,000 were scam-related. The remainder involved various other criminal activities.
Clarifying the government’s role in content moderation, the minister stressed that only platform providers themselves can block or remove social media content or accounts.
“The government has no authority to instruct social media platform providers to take such actions, which are only carried out if the content or account is found to have violated the law,” he said.
“When a piece of content or an account is taken down or blocked, it means the platform acknowledges and complies with existing laws and believes that the content has breached those laws.”
Also present at the event were Community Communications Department (J-KOM) director-general Datuk Ismail Yusop and Batu MP P. Prabakaran, who chairs the Special Task Force Committee for the Indian Community Transformation Unit (MITRA).
The NANBA programme, which takes its name from the Tamil word for “friend”, is a strategic initiative by J-KOM aimed at strengthening ties with the Indian community — particularly youth — and improving the delivery of government information.
It also serves as a two-way platform to enhance public access to policy-related updates, initiatives and opportunities while highlighting ongoing government efforts to engage directly with the people. — June 28, 2025
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