Fahmi acknowledged that several countries, including India and the US, had banned TikTok, but said each country’s decision was based on unique considerations.
“The concern of data ownership, beyond just the application itself, is being questioned in the US. If we look at it, different countries have different scenarios that need to be addressed,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.
“In Malaysia, we are not planning to shut down any platform. I believe that we need to foster better cooperation with these platforms instead.”
TikTok has been banned in India since 2020. US has banned the app on government devices, whereas China has an alternative app called DouYin.
Fahmi said the government was exploring various measures, including enhancing safety measures for online services catering to children and addressing issues related to inappropriate content such as pornography and illicit product sales.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Onn Abu Bakar (PH-Batu Pahat) on whether the government plans to ban TikTok or other social media platforms, in line with the decision of other nations.
The communications minister earlier said that parents or guardians are responsible for monitoring and supervising their children’s online activities.
“This is because children can still benefit from positive content by browsing social media together with their parents or guardians.
“Parents or guardians need to take their role in digital parenting seriously and be aware of exploring content and alternative platforms available online,” he said.
Fahmi also said that most social media platforms enforce age restrictions, allowing only those aged 13 and above to open accounts.
He added that the ministry has been collaborating with service providers to develop parental control tools for monitoring and controlling children’s online activities.
Fahmi was asked by Kamal Ashaari (PN-Kuala Krau) about his ministry’s efforts to prevent children under 15 from accessing social media platforms like TikTok, X and Facebook, in order to mitigate the influence of negative online trends.