Overwhelming public response to sebenarnya.my
CYBERJAYA: Just log onto the fake news debunking website ‘sebenarnya.my’ and one of the main items that pop up is this: “Can the police be alerted by entering PIN in reverse? False.”
In March, there was a message circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp groups that one can alert the police if one is forced by robbers to withdraw money from an automated teller machine by entering their personal identification number in reverse.
Many people actually thought the message was true. However, it is nothing but a hoax, according to ‘sebenarnya.my’, a portal established by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to debunk false news that went viral via social media platforms, instant messaging applications, blogs and websites. The portal also provides clarifications or denials by the parties concerned.
Launched on March 14 by Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak, the website – which carries the tagline “Not Sure, Don’t Share” – serves as a one-stop centre for Malaysians to verify or report news if they are uncertain of its authenticity.
It is among the efforts taken by the government to curb the dissemination and sharing of false news which, if left unchecked, can threaten the nation’s security and harmony, as well as the well-being of the people.
On public response to ‘sebenarnya.my’, MCMC’s Network Security, New Media Monitoring, Compliance and Advocacy chief officer Dr Mazlan Ismail said it has been overwhelming.
More than 8.5 million people have visited the website since it was launched more than four months ago. It works out to an average of 500,000 visitors a week and about 70,000 a day.
Mazlan hoped the new initiative by MCMC can help curtail the circulation and sharing of false news via videos, audio recordings or reports posted on social media and other digital platforms.
“Hopefully, in future, the element of slandering will become an irrelevant thing,” he said.
Mazlan said the portal only compiled false news items that have public and national interests, as well as those that have economic implications.
“Besides vindicating individuals and groups whose images have been tainted by the dissemination of false news about them, our portal also protects businesses that have been preyed on,” he added.
It also acts as a liaison with ministries, government departments and agencies which are required to either verify or debunk any news affecting them within 24 hours before it goes viral.
The portal is administered by 10 MCMC staff, six of whom handle the content while the remaining four provide technical backup service.
Managing and maintaining the portal internally is not only a cost-saving measure but also enables MCMC to ensure that there is continuity in terms of the information conveyed to the public. The administrators of ‘sebenarnya. my’ place a great deal of emphasis on speed and content to ensure that the website remains transparent and relevant at all times.
Shortly after the team established a Facebook page for ‘sebenarnya. my’, a fake account emerged, forcing them to make a request to the Facebook administrators to have the fake page removed from the social media platform.
Initially, there was also some confusion over the portal’s website address as they were complaints from Internet users that the ‘sebenarnya’ website they clicked onto had Indonesian content.
MCMC later issued a statement to clarify the confusion. It said instead of logging onto its portal at ‘sebenarnya.my’, some users had logged onto ‘sebenarnya.com’, which belonged to an Indonesian entity.
There have been many instances in the past when some parties, wittingly or otherwise, spread information about certain products via social media that caused much anxiety among consumers.
In 2014, Muslims in Malaysia were shocked when they came across a report alleging that some types of Cadbury dairy milk chocolate bars contained porcine DNA.
This led to many Muslims boycotting Cadbury chocolates, but later the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) issued a statement to confirm that Cadbury chocolates produced and sold in Malaysia were halal.
Earlier this year, shoe company Bata Primavera Sdn Bhd incurred losses of more than RM500,000 after a report went viral on cyberspace that its B-First school shoes had the Arabic word “Allah” inscribed on their soles.
Bata was forced to withdraw some 70,000 pairs of shoes from its stores nationwide. Fortunately, the Home Ministry’s Al-Quran Printing Control and Licensing Board cleared the company of any wrongdoing.