ASEAN Anti-fake News Training Module To Be Adopted At Summit - Fahmi
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- The Training Module for Combating Fake News is set to be adopted as part of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Safe and Responsible Use of Social Media Platforms for ASEAN during the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits later this month, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the module, developed during the Seminar on Developing Training Module for Combating Fake News in ASEAN 2025 here, is expected to assist ASEAN member states in tackling fake news, misinformation, malinformation and disinformation, all of which have become increasingly widespread in recent times.
“I hope the modules will help ensure that ASEAN remains not only a neutral and prosperous region, where we can take advantage of closer connectivity and faster internet, but more importantly, a safer internet - safer from fake news, safer from scams and particularly, safer for children.
“God willing, we will adopt this module through the Kuala Lumpur Declaration to be signed and agreed upon at the upcoming ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) meeting during the ASEAN Summit in the next 24 days,” he told reporters after officiating at the seminar today.
Also present were Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and acting deputy editor-in-chief of News Services Mohd Shukri Ishak.
Fahmi, who is also the MADANI Government spokesman, said the two-day seminar, which concluded today, aimed to raise awareness, especially among ASEAN media practitioners, on the latest techniques that can be applied across platforms to combat fake news.
Earlier, in his keynote address, Fahmi noted that during the COVID-19 pandemic, fake news caused serious harm to communities, and today, particularly amid geopolitical conflicts in the region, information is being weaponised, often leaving ordinary citizens as collateral damage.
“Today we are confronted by what we might call an infodemic. This is a new era where, with the proliferation of multiple social media platforms and communication no longer being unidirectional but omnidirectional, we have seen within ASEAN how the spread of fake news can have extremely debilitating effects.
“That is why in Malaysia we took proactive steps by summoning social media platforms, including TikTok, and stressing that Malaysia, as a sovereign nation with clear laws, cannot allow the proliferation of fake news perpetuated through their platforms and amplified by uncontrollable algorithms,” he said.
He also criticised the reluctance of social media platforms to take stronger measures to combat online crimes, including deepfakes, scams and fraud.
Organised by the Tun Abdul Razak Broadcasting and Information Institute in strategic collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development, the seminar developed the module based on five key aspects - Understanding Modern Disinformation, AI-Driven Disinformation and Deepfakes, Fact Checking and Digital Verification, Legal and Ethical Frameworks in ASEAN as well as Values and Ethics.
-- BERNAMA
