Foreign AI election interference claims under Online Safety Act probe, ministry tells Parliament

The logo of the artificial intelligence assistant Claude Mythos is displayed on a smartphone screen in Brussels on June 10, 2026. — AFP pic

By Malay Mail

First Published: Wednesday, 04 Nov 2026 10:00 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — The federal government will deploy existing communications and cyber safety laws to counter an alleged foreign-linked artificial intelligence influence campaign targeting Malaysian electorates, while drafting a dedicated AI Governance Bill to establish regulatory oversight over developers, the Communications Ministry told Parliament.

The ministry disclosed this in a written parliamentary reply yesterday to Pasir Mas MP Tuan Haji Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, who questioned what steps the government would take to investigate foreign election meddling conducted through generative AI platforms, including  Claude.

The ministry confirmed that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is treating the allegations seriously and has sought detailed technical clarification and supporting evidence from Anthropic, the US-based creator of Claude, to ensure any regulatory assessment is grounded in empirical findings.

Enforcement action will be pursued under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 alongside the Online Safety Act 2025 and related statutes under MCMC's purview. The regulatory agency will coordinate with federal security bodies, criminal investigators, and social media platform providers where necessary.

In tandem with current enforcement tools, the Digital Ministry is drafting a standalone AI Governance Bill designed to codify corporate accountability, risk mitigation requirements, and developer liabilities across the artificial intelligence life cycle, though the reply offered no firm timeline for its introduction in Parliament.

The controversy originated from a threat intelligence report published in September by Anthropic, which revealed that a commercial actor had leveraged Claude to develop core components of a covert political influence campaign.

Anthropic attributed the activity to BBS Bilisim Teknolojileri, a technology firm based in Istanbul, noting that the operation attempted to construct synthetic persona networks, automated bot accounts, and bespoke propaganda websites.

The operation reportedly harvested demographic census records and voter data to profile electorates across all 222 federal parliamentary constituencies.

While the Turkish company denied involvement on September 11, Anthropic confirmed it had shuttered the offending accounts and noted that the campaign showed no evidence of gaining meaningful organic traction among genuine users.

Following the disclosures, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said urged authorities to mount a comprehensive and independent investigation.

However, the ministry did not disclose whether Anthropic has responded to MCMC's queries, whether police have registered a formal criminal investigation, or how existing domestic statutes can effectively hold offshore technology operators and foreign-based software firms accountable beyond Malaysian borders.