Cybersecurity experts urge for laws to combat the harms of social media.
PETALING JAYA: At its finest, social media improves connectivity, democratizes access to knowledge, and brings people together.
However, it can also result in financial devastation, health issues, and even death.
The tragic death of TikTok influencer A Rajeswary, believed to have been caused by cyberbullying, highlights the worst aspects of this form of mass communication, prompting calls for a legal framework to control social media sites.
On the day before her death, Esha, a 29-year-old Hindu rights activist, filed a police report against two people for allegedly harassing her on TikTok.
P Shalini, 34, was fined RM100 for "insulting behaviour intended to incite anger and disrupt the peace" of the two. For many, the penalty was far too lenient.
The other accused person, 44-year-old B Sathiskumar, has yet to be sentenced.
According to Selvakumar Manickam, a cybersecurity specialist at Universiti Sains Malaysia, current legislation, such as the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, focus on conventional forms of bullying because they were enacted before the internet became widely used.
"Malaysia lacks regulations on cyberbullying," he told FMT.
"There are no laws to hold social media platforms accountable, especially those based outside Malaysia," said Tan.
Selvakumar suggested that Malaysia follow in the footsteps of nations such as Germany, where the NetzDG requires the prompt removal of harmful content, Australia, where the Online Safety Act includes penalties for cyberbullying, and Singapore, where the Protection from Harassment Act criminalizes it.
Holding OSPs Accountable
Vicks Kanagasingam, co-founder and CEO of Verge IoT, believes that penalizing cyberbullies is a reactive tactic, "much like a band aid."
He stated that online service providers (OSPs), which include social media platforms, email services, news websites, e-commerce platforms, and search engines, should be controlled.
OSPs provide transmission, routing, and connection services for digital communication.
According to Vicks, regulators now typically address the matter only after a problem has arisen.
"We should be going after (OSPs) and enforcing regulations on them as they have enabled (cyberbullying)," he said to FMT.
He advocated holding OSPs and instant messaging service providers liable for frauds, similar to how Singapore would implement the Shared Responsibility Framework (SRF) later this year.
Under the SRF, telecommunications firms and financial institutions will be held liable for damages caused by frauds.
Murugason Thangaratnam, CEO of cybersecurity firm Novem CS, has chosen the European Union's Digital Services Act, which went into effect in November 2022, as a model for a regulatory framework.
The Act mandates OSPs to implement "new procedures for faster removal" of content that is deemed illegal or harmful.
OSPs will also be obliged to have a "clear mechanism" to assist users in flagging illicit content and collaborating with "trusted flaggers".
Noncompliance may result in fines of up to 6% of the provider's total global annual revenue and increased supervision.
Large internet platforms must also do annual risk assessments to identify and mitigate systemic concerns, such as the spread of unlawful content, as well as evaluate their impact on gender-based violence and minors.
A coordinated effort.
As Murugason points out, combating cyberbullying necessitates collaboration among law enforcement authorities, educational institutions, and ISPs.
"It is the cornerstone of effective response to and prevention of cyberstalking and cyberbullying," he told FMT in an interview.
Vicks believes that include online safety and media literacy in the education curriculum could boost awareness of the issue.
This, he claims, will improve vigilance and help people recognize cyberbullying when it occurs.
"We must begin in school, from the ground up. "Understanding this is critical to fostering harmony and allowing our country to thrive," he said.
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