Self-regulation is key to ensuring professional operation of government social media

PUTRAJAYA: The adoption of the 2022 Content Code by government social media entities is of paramount importance as it addresses self-regulation and ethical practices by civil servants regarding their personal use of social media.

Communication and Multimedia Content Forum (CMCF) chief executive Mediha Mahmood said that when thinking about impact on others, emphasis should be placed on professional social media handling.

“When dealing with social media, empathy mapping is essential, as well as thinking about the impact on different groups, including community, family and self.”

She said this at the inaugural Social Media Seminar for Government Ministries and Agencies 2024 (SOCIALGOV), organized by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) today.

Mediha explained that there is a need for civil servants to be accountable as social media handlers for departments and individuals, given the impact of illegal content on not only the agency but also the individuals involved.

“They must distance themselves from personal feelings when interacting with social media, although this would not be easy. The first thing to know is that not all issues require an immediate response. Some (issues) don’t even need to be answered on social media, a press statement is enough,” she said.

As artificial intelligence (AI)-based content is believed to be misleading and causing fake news, Mediha said the CMCF will make improvements to the Content Code for 2022.

“After receiving feedback from stakeholders, CMCF conducts research and benchmarking to see what other jurisdictions are doing. We will examine whether the Content Code is adequate and if there is a gap, there may be a need to develop a better provision to tighten the Content Code,” she said.

The Content Code was first introduced in 2004 as a set of guidelines outlining best practices and ethical standards for the creation and review of content provided by CMCF under the auspices of MCMC.

The Code was then enhanced in 2022 to include a review of standards and best practice relating to electronic content, in particular in relation to advertising, as well as the wider implications for different sectors of society.

Among the improvements are the eight main issues which are children’s rights in advertising; rights of people with disabilities (OKU) and ethical reporting of suicide cases.

The key changes introduced in the new code include children’s rights in advertising, rights of people with disabilities; and ethical reporting of suicide cases.