Wong Chun Wai, a well-known media personality, has urged established news organizations to collaborate with regulators in order to combat scammers engaging in fraudulent activities. He emphasized that trillions of dollars have been lost to scams globally, leading to significant financial losses for many individuals.
Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, who is also the chairman of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), stated that such fraudulent behavior is an extension of the misuse of social media to spread false and slanderous information. This has resulted in severe implications for ordinary people who have ended up losing their life savings.
He also expressed his concern that misinformation and scamming will become even more prevalent with the increasing use of artificial intelligence in the coming years.
During his speech at the World Media Summit in Guangzhou, Wong emphasized that mainstream media are well aware of the challenges posed by misinformation. He also stressed the need for updated legislation and the application of custodial sentences to punish those responsible for spreading false information.
Wong noted that Bernama, along with other news outlets in Malaysia, has a fact-checking section to assist readers in verifying the information they come across.
He emphasized the crucial role of mainstream media as legitimate sources of information and news, particularly in a time when misinformation is rampant. Wong also highlighted the importance of global media cooperation in upholding the trust of the public in the media.
Furthermore, he commended China’s Cyberspace Administration for taking action against fake news by shutting down over 100,000 social media accounts that were spreading false information between April and May of the current year.
