Malaysia orders TikTok over defamatory content about king

Malaysia’s internet regulator ordered TikTok to address “offensive and defamatory” content about the country’s monarchy.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said Thursday it instructed the video-sharing platform to take “immediate remedial measures” regarding an account purportedly linked to King Sultan Ibrahim.

The MCMC’s order requires TikTok to strengthen its moderation policies and provide a “formal explanation” for failing to block “grossly offensive, false, menacing and insulting” content, including AI-generated videos and manipulated images.

The regulator said it takes a “serious view” of online platforms being used to disseminate false content or material “detrimental to public order,” especially concerning the monarchy.

It issued the order after finding TikTok’s response to previous notifications “unsatisfactory,” the commission added.

TikTok, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“MCMC will continue to take firm and proportionate action where necessary to ensure digital platforms operating in Malaysia uphold their responsibilities in maintaining a safe, secure and respectful online environment,” the watchdog said in a statement.

Malaysia, a constitutional monarchy, penalizes speech deemed to inspire “hatred or contempt” against the royal family under a sedition law enacted in 1948.

The order against TikTok represents the latest step by Malaysian authorities to regulate social media platforms.

In January, the MCMC briefly blocked access to the AI assistant Grok following a global backlash over its use to create sexually explicit images without consent.

Malaysia’s government is also preparing to enforce legislation passed last year that prohibits social media use by children under 16, following similar actions by Australia, Indonesia and France.