Fake News in Malaysia: A Policy Understanding

• Main Authors: Wan Ahmad, Wan Muhammad Zulhafizsyam, Sulaiman, Nor Intan Saniah, Mohmad Kamal, Fazillah
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: T Technology (General)
• Online Access: https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/29931/1/UUM%20IQRC%202022_52_58.pdf; https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/29931/
• Institution: Universiti Utara Malaysia

Fake news has become a global issue due to its rapid expansion, especially on digital platforms. Through social media and digital platforms, people discuss a range of topics, from those that are common to those that are important for society and the state. Furthermore, people are much more likely to believe the news they find online and on social media than the news they find in more conventional mass media like radio and television. Modern countries were compelled to look for legal tools to combat this phenomenon because digital news platforms were frequently used to mislead large populations, which frequently resulted in grave repercussions. The Malaysian government has come up with the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA) and ordered the creation of an industry Content Code in 2004 to serve as the conduct standard for players in the communications and multimedia sector. Since the code is still only a non-binding industry standard, ensured compliance with the code is through regulatory and licencing restrictions. Between 2000 and 2018, the problem of fake news intensified to an extent that it caused chaos in society. Malaysian government established the Anti-fake News Act of 2018, which offers a comprehensive legal framework that makes it illegal to spread false information, whether it be online or in print. The study aimed to discover the meaning of fake news policy among digital news readers and to understand the influence of fake news policy on news readers’ awareness of fake news. This qualitative study uses Thematic Analysis methods to interpret the pattern of meaning in qualitative data. It involves an interview with 15 digital news readers in Malaysia. The result expected can tell us whether the netizen understands what fake news policy is and how it influences the readers’ awareness of fake news proliferation.