Meeting with Meta to discuss commitment to combat fake news, disinformation, says Fahmi

PUTRAJAYA: The Communications Ministry’s meeting with Meta Platforms Inc (Meta) and representatives of other social media platforms scheduled to be held in Singapore next month will discuss, among others, the Madani government’s commitment to combat fake news and disinformation, says Fahmi Fadzil.

The Communications Minister said the meeting would take place during his official visit to the republic in mid-June.

“…I hope they will join the government in our effort to ensure online safety for children and families.

“What we want is online safety…to make the Internet safe for children and families, and I believe that whether it’s Meta, Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp, they are with us on this matter,” he told reporters after attending the Communications Ministry’s monthly assembly here Thursday (May 30).

In his speech earlier, Fahmi also called on the ministry’s staff to fully utilise artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance work productivity.

He said that the adoption of AI would not only improve individual performance but also facilitate service delivery as expected by the public.

Addressing inter-ministerial collaboration, Fahmi, who is the unity government spokesman, also urged the Information Department (Japen), the Broadcasting Department of Malaysia, and the Malaysian National News Agency (BK) to focus on efforts to combat leakages and diesel smuggling activities in collaboration with the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) through the production of news content that benefits the public.

“I see that KPDN is very effective in combating leakages, stockpiling (diesel), and so on. I urge Japen and the Madani community to help the public understand the mechanisms for filing complaints (in case of leakage or price hikes).

“We also need to help share the videos uploaded by KPDN on TikTok and other platforms,” he added. – BK