Takedown requests for harmful online content in Malaysia have risen sharply, with gambling-related content making up 62% of all MCMC requests to service providers

KUALA LUMPUR: Requests to remove harmful online content submitted by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to service providers have increased significantly.

Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching attributed the rising trend to several key factors.

These include more proactive monitoring by MCMC, greater public awareness of complaint channels, and the growing use of AI to disseminate harmful material.

She revealed that gambling-related content accounted for the highest number of takedown requests at 62%.

“For scam-related content, including fake accounts and impersonation, the requests accounted for 21%, while offensive content made up seven%,” she told the Dewan Negara.

She was responding to a question from Senator Datuk Seri S. Vell Paari on the top online security threats.

Year-on-year data shows a sharp increase in requests across all major categories.

Takedown requests related to gambling surged to 293,057 in 2025 from 196,510 in 2024.

Requests for scam-related content rose to 102,113 last year from 66,507 the previous year.

For offensive content, takedown requests increased to 42,027 in 2025 from 19,344 in 2024.

Cumulative data from 2022 until March 1 this year recorded 576,269 takedown requests related to gambling.

Over the same period, 197,120 requests involved scams including fake accounts and impersonation.

A further 69,541 requests were related to offensive content.

Teo explained that final action to remove content is based on complaints received, platform guidelines and applicable local laws.

She noted that online scams, identity theft and data breaches generally fall under the jurisdiction of other enforcement agencies.

These include the police, the National Cybersecurity Agency and the Personal Data Protection Department.

However, MCMC plays a supporting role by providing technical assistance to these agencies.

This includes supplying information and digital forensic analysis to support investigations.

Teo added that MCMC carries out proactive monitoring and enforcement against those spreading harmful content.

These actions are taken in line with the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and the Online Safety Act 2025.

 The Sun Malaysia