TikTok has expressed its commitment to addressing concerns raised by the Malaysian government regarding its compliance with local laws. The company stated that it respects local regulations and will proactively work to resolve these issues.
To demonstrate their dedication, the company has scheduled meetings with Malaysia's communications regulator, who had previously criticized TikTok for not doing enough to combat defamatory or misleading content.
Fahmi also called for addressing problems related to content distribution and advertising purchases following complaints from various stakeholders. This comes from increased scrutiny of TikTok in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia's ban on e-commerce activities and Vietnam's investigation into harmful content.
Why does it matter?
Malaysia has been implementing stricter regulations on online content about sensitive subjects like race, religion, and royalty, with other platforms also coming under scrutiny, not just TikTok. Earlier, the Malaysian government had considered legal action against Facebook's parent company for failing to curb harmful content but dropped the plan after discussions with the company.