Malaysia Orders TikTok to Act Against Defamatory Content About the King

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Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia has ordered TikTok to take action over what authorities describe as defamatory and offensive content targeting the country’s monarchy, escalating pressure on the platform to improve its content moderation systems.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said TikTok failed to respond adequately and quickly enough to remove content that included false, insulting, and AI-generated material linked to a social media account pretending to be associated with King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar.

Officials said the content was considered highly sensitive because it involved the royal institution, which Malaysia classifies as a protected subject under laws covering race, religion, and royalty. They warned that such material could affect public order and national harmony.

The regulator has issued a formal order requiring TikTok to explain its moderation failures and take immediate steps to prevent similar content from spreading, including strengthening enforcement and removal mechanisms.

Authorities also stressed that this action is part of a broader push in Malaysia to tighten oversight of social media platforms, especially over issues such as scams, harmful content, and material seen as insulting to public institutions.

TikTok has not yet publicly responded to the order.

The issue comes amid growing global scrutiny of how social media companies handle misinformation, AI-generated content, and politically sensitive posts, particularly when they involve state institutions or royal figures.