KUALA LUMPUR: A cybersecurity expert said banning the Telegram messaging application should be the last option and that the government should limit its usage on government devices and by government agencies while spreading awareness about its risks.
Universiti Sains Malaysia's National Advanced IPv6 Centre director Professor Dr Selvakumar Manickam said government agencies use the application and prohibiting it may not be practical.
"The government should first limit Telegram usage and activities on government devices, especially by government agencies like the police, armed forces and National Security Council.
"If the government does not find a way to work with Telegram to address such issues, banning Telegram would be an option, but it is not a practical one," he told the New Straits Times.
Selvakumar said other messaging applications had similar security and privacy risks.
"On top of these risks, Telegram has also been criticised for the option to create public groups that can be freely joined by anyone worldwide.
"These groups can be used to distribute harmful or illegal content, such as fake news, hate speech and pornographic material."
He said the app has also been criticised for poor content moderation that has allowed harmful content to proliferate.
"Telegram has claimed it is removing such content, but it has not been effective.
"This lack of content moderation is a major concern for parents who want to ensure their children's safety while using the app."
He said without proper supervision, children may be exposed to inappropriate content or encounter potentially dangerous individuals.
He suggested that users, especially parents, talk to their children about the application and keep a close eye on its usage.
"Parents should monitor their child's usage (of Telegram). There are third-party apps that can add parental control to the application.
"Users should only join trusted groups. If an unknown user contacts you, never respond.
"Disabling Telegram features such as 'People Nearby' and changing privacy settings from 'Everybody' to 'My Contacts' will also be helpful."
Lawyer Nizam Bashir Abdul Kariem Bashir said the authorities should look into using laws, such as the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, to regulate pornographic and drug-related activities on Telegram.
"Section 3(3) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 does not permit censorship of the Internet.
"But there are Sections 211 and 233 of the act, which prohibits and criminalises content that is indecent, obscene, false, menacing or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any person, and comments, requests, suggestions or other communication that are obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person," he told the New Straits Times.
Yesterday, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government was considering taking action against the developer of the Telegram app due to numerous complaints about the messaging application.
He said the government had been attempting to engage with Telegram since January, but the company had yet to respond.
He cited a complaint by the Malaysian Medical Association on the sale of points to doctors on the application.
Doctors earn points when they attend conferences or workshops as part of their career progression.
Fahmi said there were also concerns about pornography and drug-related activities on Telegram.
He said as the regulatory body, the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission would propose the next course of action to deal with Telegram.