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Malaysia orders TikTok to explain ‘grossly offensive’ fake content targeting king
The demand follows AI-generated videos and manipulated images that the regulator said were grossly offensive and could trigger penalties of up to RM10 million.
On Thursday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission issued a statutory demand to TikTok, alleging the platform failed to take "sufficient and timely action" against offensive and defamatory content targeting the country's royal institution.
An account purporting to be linked to King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar circulated material described as "grossly offensive, false, menacing and insulting in nature," including AI-generated videos and manipulated images.
Despite prior notifications, the regulator found TikTok's response unsatisfactory, citing potential breaches of Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act and demanding a formal explanation for moderation failures.
TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, must strengthen content moderation mechanisms to comply with Malaysian laws; the company did not immediately respond to the regulator's notice.
Malaysia has increased scrutiny of social media platforms in recent years due to rising harmful online content, with the government planning age verification for users this year to limit exposure among minors.