GENEVA – Big technology companies (big tech) are not bigger than the law of any country, says Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said every sovereign nation had laws that served many purposes and needed to be adhered to, even by big tech.
“There are regulations that have been put in place for safety and security – and big tech must listen to our laws,” he said during a panel session at the World Summit on the Information Society+20 High-Level Event (WSIS+20) here on Wednesday.
Fahmi said, bearing this in mind, Malaysia had taken the lead in developing the guidelines for safe and responsible use of social media platforms for Asean.
“These guidelines will help to serve, perhaps, as a beacon in the dark for Asean nations in order to travel safely to where we need to go, respecting our respective sovereignties, but also the principle of Asean centrality. In that way, we hope that we will have a bigger voice, a stronger voice,” he said.
Malaysia is currently taking a leading role in the development of the guidelines envisioned as a non-binding regional reference that provides common principles, best practices and practical recommendations for governments, platforms and users to address online safety and promote cyber wellness across member states.
It aims to foster collaboration between Asean information sectors and social media platforms to tackle harmful online content while protecting freedom of expression. – July 10, 2025