‘Think of the families’: Fahmi calls on platforms to act against graphic accident videos

PUTRAJAYA, June 8 — Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil today urged social media platforms to act more swiftly against the spread of graphic images and videos online, saying such content can cause further distress to victims’ families and potentially interfere with investigations.

Speaking to reporters after the Ministerial Dialogue and Media Roundtable on Safe and Responsible Suicide Reporting at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC), Fahmi said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is looking to broaden its definition of online harm to include graphic or “gory” content.

“From the communications side, particularly through MCMC, we want to widen and expand the definition of online harm. This includes content that may be graphic in nature, such as car crash images,” he said.

Fahmi noted that many people routinely share dashcam recordings of road accidents on social media without considering the impact on those directly affected.

“Firstly, for the victims and their families, I think many people would agree that we should respect them. Secondly, there are aspects involving investigations,” he said.

He said social media platforms should work more closely with authorities and immediately act to limit the circulation of such content.

“As for cooperation with the platforms, they should immediately take action to reduce the spread of this type of content,” he added.

Fahmi cited the recent fatal crash in Kedah involving six members of the same family as an example, noting that dashcam footage of the incident had been widely circulated online.

The accident occurred near Sungai Petani yesterday when a lorry collided with a Proton X50 carrying the family, killing six people while a toddler survived with injuries.

“Just imagine what it is like for the family to see such footage without any filter,” Fahmi said.

He expressed hope that the Online Safety Committee would consider the issue and engage social media platforms on stronger measures to curb the dissemination of graphic content.

“We want the platforms themselves to take action,” he said.

The minister was speaking after a dialogue focused on safe and responsible reporting of suicide, where participants discussed the role of media organisations, digital platforms and regulators in reducing harmful online content.

TikTok was among the social media platforms represented at the event. However, Fahmi noted that “the blue box” app was absent.