KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — Artificial intelligence (AI) cannot be left entirely in charge of moderating online content as it may fail to understand the nuances of certain languages, particularly when dealing with cyberbullying, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said today.
He said this was particularly evident in cases involving cyberbullying within the Tamil-speaking community, where AI-based moderation could fail to properly identify harmful or abusive content.
“I’ve noticed cyberbullying among the Indian community is really bad.
“I have told TikTok that the language issue cannot be handed over to AI. It is unable to fully understand the nuances of certain sentences, especially those that harm and bully others.
“TikTok has taken a different approach. They have reduced the number of human moderators and are now more focused on using AI. I will give them some time.”
Fahmi said the government had introduced the Child Protection Code (CPC) and Risk Mitigation Code (RMC), which had been communicated to social media platform operators.
He said the two codes were intended to ensure social media platforms did not become hubs for crimes including scams, cyberbullying and other offences.
“When the platform tries to use AI to do moderation, if they do not have the ability to understand what is happening in a certain language, it will make cyberbullying a huge crime,” he said.
Fahmi said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was currently engaging social media platforms, including YouTube, in Singapore over the implementation of the CPC and RMC.
He said platforms had been given several months to study and implement the codes, while discussions were ongoing over their operation.
He added that age verification through electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) mechanisms was also being implemented by social media platforms, with platforms that failed to comply once the CPC and RMC were fully implemented facing heavy penalties.
Fahmi was speaking to reporters after officiating the Internet Selamat forum with parent-teacher associations (PIBG) at Imbi Hall in Cheras today.
He said parents also had an important role in protecting children online, including understanding current cyberbullying and scam tactics, being aware of the risks posed by AI and activating parental controls.
He also reiterated the government’s position that children below 16 should not independently open social media accounts, although parents could create accounts for educational purposes.
In 2024, cyberbullying victim Rajeswary Appahu, known as Esha, an influencer, died on July 5, shortly after filing a police report regarding threats and defamation directed at her on social media platforms.
Date: 8 August, 2026 1:00 pm
Source: Malay Mail
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