The Malaysian government has filed a civil case against Telegram for allegedly spreading malicious content that could undermine public trust in institutions and cause social unrest.
According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), this is the first legal action against a social media platform in the country. The agency also said that two Telegram channels — “Edisi Siasat” and “Edisi Khas” — were allegedly posting illegal content under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
MCMC stated that Telegram failed to respond to complaints despite several attempts to resolve the issue through dialogue. As a result, the High Court issued an injunction to stop the spread of such content and to prevent its recurrence.
The agency said Telegram would be given the opportunity to defend its case based on justice and human rights. MCMC also warned other social media platforms that they could face similar action if they violate Malaysian law.
There has been no statement from Telegram regarding this issue at the time of writing.