More than 1,800 fake social media accounts have been identified so far, with a number of them allegedly being used to spread content involving race, religion and royalty (3R) issues, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said.
He said most of the accounts were detected on Facebook and TikTok, with some allegedly created to impersonate genuine individuals or organisations before posting false or provocative statements.
According to Fahmi, the accounts were also being used to stir public anger through what he described as gaslighting tactics, where misleading content is deliberately circulated to provoke reactions.
“We have observed that much of the 3R content originates from fake accounts,” he said after officiating the Komuniti Kasih Madani programme at IWK Eco Park.
He said some of the accounts would impersonate legitimate figures or organisations, publish a controversial statement and then delete both the account and post after taking screenshots.
The screenshots would subsequently be circulated as though the original content had been posted by a genuine account, potentially misleading social media users and fuelling public backlash.
Fahmi said authorities had also detected a significant increase in fake accounts being used to stir 3R-related issues, as well as accounts associated with online scams and gambling activities.
“The message we want to convey is that not everyone posting on social media is a real person,” he said, adding that users should not assume an account is genuine simply based on its name or profile picture.
He pointed out that an account could appear to belong to a Malay individual while being operated by someone else, while a profile picture showing a man did not necessarily mean the person behind the account was male.
Fahmi also warned that certain parties were deliberately attempting to manipulate public sentiment by publishing provocative statements designed to attract condemnation, even though the original posts may have come from fake or unauthentic accounts.
The development highlights the growing challenge of verifying information online, particularly as social media platforms continue to play a major role in shaping public opinion and discussions on sensitive issues.
