Berita Desk delivers breaking news, politics, business, sports and lifestyle coverage from Malaysia and Southeast Asia — trusted, timely and independent.
A Sessions Court in Sepang has ordered blogger Papagomo to defend himself against charges of spreading false information on social media, allegedly claiming that 11 PKR MPs had withdrawn backing from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
US authorities arrested a 36-year-old Camden resident accused of soliciting explicit photographs from a 7-year-old girl via TikTok and text messages. A specially trained police dog helped recover the cellphone used in the case.
A 19-year-old Singaporean was fined $600 for recording himself licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine in March. The video went viral, leading the company to replace all 500 straws in the dispenser.
A 19-year-old Singaporean has been fined S$600 after filming himself licking a straw from a juice vending machine and posting it on Instagram, forcing the company to replace 500 straws.
Negeri Sembilan police are investigating allegations that a political party controls the state palace, with the probe covering election law violations, criminal offences, and communications breaches.
Vietnam is drafting regulations that would prevent children under 16 from posting or commenting on social media unless their accounts are registered and monitored by parents, reflecting growing international concerns over online child safety.
PKR has officially confirmed that businessman Datuk Seri Nicky Liow Soon Hee holds no membership in the party, following verification through its membership system after social media speculation.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil has called for stronger emphasis on patriotism and digital literacy among Malaysian youth, warning that understanding national values and online safety are essential to facing contemporary societal challenges.
Six schoolgirls in Kota Kinabalu have been charged with rioting in connection with an incident outside a secondary school that gained widespread attention online, raising questions about youth involvement in public disorder.
A man has been arrested by Johor Baru police for posting seditious and insulting remarks about Islam on Facebook, marking the latest enforcement of laws protecting religious sensitivities in Malaysia.
Senior political figures in Negri Sembilan have rejected widespread allegations circulating on social media of impending alliances between major political coalitions, calling on voters to disregard unverified claims during the state election.
A Florida teenager has withdrawn his lawsuit against Meta Platforms just days before a trial was set to begin in Los Angeles. The case was expected to be the second major bellwether trial among thousands of pending lawsuits alleging social media platforms harm young users.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil has called on the public to refrain from posting or sharing content related to race, religion and royalty matters during the Negri Sembilan state election campaign.
Four 14-year-old boys have been arrested following a violent assault in Cheras that captured public attention through viral social media circulation. The victim sustained serious injuries in the incident.
Police have remanded a 52-year-old man for two days as investigations continue into social media posts allegedly containing insulting remarks directed at the Negri Sembilan royal institution.
Negeri Sembilan authorities have arrested a man suspected of posting insulting content about state royalty on social media. Police seized his mobile phone as investigators examine the allegations.
Facebook experienced a significant global outage on July 19, preventing millions of users across Malaysia and internationally from accessing accounts and basic functions. Meta had not issued an official statement by evening.
Controversial social media personalities Andrew and Tristan Tate have been arrested in Miami following fresh rape and sex-trafficking allegations filed by British prosecutors, marking an escalation in their legal troubles.
The UK government plans to enforce a default midnight curfew on social media apps for teenagers aged 16 and 17, requiring users to actively change settings to access platforms between midnight and 6 a.m., as part of broader youth safeguarding measures.
The Malaysian Army has challenged widespread social media allegations of rape involving one of its members, stating that its internal investigation produces contradictory findings to what has circulated online.
The Malaysian Army has concluded that allegations linking one of its members to sexual offences that circulated on social media contradict actual facts. The military is pursuing legal remedies against the spread of what it terms defamatory content.
Australia's online regulator has documented a surge in sexual extortion cases targeting young men and boys, with over 2,200 complaints logged in six months. Social media platforms face criticism for inadequate safeguards.
Meta has appealed a groundbreaking California jury verdict that found the company designed Instagram to addict young users. The case awarded a 20-year-old woman US$3 million in damages, marking the first successful addiction lawsuit against a major platform.
The Election Commission will investigate voters who upload photos of marked ballot papers to social media, raising questions about voting secrecy and electoral integrity in Malaysia.
A Malaysian blogger has been fined RM11,000 after being convicted of posting offensive content about former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Umno on social media platforms.
The European Commission has charged Meta Platforms with breaching tech regulations, demanding the company disable autoplay and infinite scroll features on Facebook and Instagram or risk fines totalling up to 6% of global annual revenue.
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Malaysia's Social Welfare Department has appealed to the public and media to stop sharing content that could reveal children's identities online, particularly following a recent viral incident at a school.
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Malaysia's Department of Environment has firmly denied releasing or endorsing a viral infographic ranking state cleanliness levels, warning the public against treating unverified information as official guidance.
Malaysia's Communications Minister has urged social media platforms to strengthen their response to misinformation surrounding the Johor state election, warning that false claims about results could confuse voters.
Social media influencer Marissa Dania has publicly refuted claims that she has marginalised her mother Abby Abadi, cautioning observers against hasty judgements regarding her family dynamics and personal choices.
Malaysian police have appealed to the public to stop sharing an old dispute over dawn azan calls disrupting residents' sleep in Sungai Buloh, warning that renewed circulation on social media could reignite tensions.
Police have cautioned Malaysians against spreading an outdated Sungai Buloh complaint concerning the Subuh azan, warning the resurrected dispute could inflame religious sensitivities.
India has ordered Meta Platforms to immediately remove child sexual abuse material and disable related advertisements across Instagram and Facebook, escalating government scrutiny of the social media company over child protection.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has dismissed speculation that a man appearing in a viral social media post is employed by the agency, clarifying the identity confusion that sparked online discussion.
Authorities in Tawau have launched a police investigation following reports of a schoolboy being assaulted by multiple individuals, with footage of the incident spreading across social media platforms.
A Melaka woman who operates an online business has been charged with distributing doctored nude photographs of another woman via social media and possessing pornographic material, bringing attention to digital crimes in Malaysia.
French President Emmanuel Macron and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus have issued a joint call for stronger regulation of digital platforms, warning that online environments pose significant risks to children's health, development, and wellbeing globally.
FIFA's digital protection service identified 89,000 abusive posts during the World Cup group stage—a 13-fold increase from Qatar 2022. Racial abuse accounted for 11% of detected offensive content, prompting law enforcement referrals.
TikTok has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by a Florida teenager who claimed the platform's addictive design harmed his mental health. The move comes as social media companies face thousands of similar cases across US courts.
TikTok has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by a Florida teenager who alleged the platform caused mental health damage including depression and anxiety. The settlement precedes a broader California trial examining social media's role in youth mental health crises.
Indonesia's social media crackdown has resulted in TikTok and YouTube disabling 4.7 million accounts belonging to children under 16. The measure aims to curb cyberbullying and addiction among young users.
Australia is moving to strengthen its world-leading ban on children using social media after evidence emerged that the December law has largely failed, with seven in ten underage users still maintaining accounts on major platforms.
Police have initiated a nationwide investigation into statements allegedly posted by former Umno veteran Datuk Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi on social media platforms, after citizens filed 153 reports across the country.
Malaysian actor Hisyam Hamid has publicly rejected unsubstantiated claims about visiting actress Erysha Emyra's residence, which spread rapidly across social media platforms.
A Kuching sessions court has sentenced a 46-year-old security guard to jail and a fine for posting offensive comments about the Malaysian King on Facebook, with the judge ruling he owes an apology to the nation.
The European Commission is intensifying its investigation into Meta, accusing Facebook and Instagram of using manipulative design to addict young users. The company faces potential fines up to six percent of annual global revenue.
YouTube has quietly settled a lawsuit brought by a Florida teenager alleging the platform harmed his mental health. The move comes as social media companies face thousands of similar cases across US courts, with juries increasingly ruling against the platforms.