MCMC Probes Anthropic Report, Denies Involvement In Alleged Operations

The regulator says activities described in the report do not fall under its functions or mandate.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is reviewing a report by US-based artificial intelligence (AI) firm Anthropic detailing an alleged election-manipulation operation targeting Malaysian voters. The regulator has also firmly denied any involvement in the activities described in the report.

In a statement issued yesterday, MCMC said it takes the matters raised in Anthropic's report seriously and will seek further information and clarification from the relevant parties to establish the facts. It added that any appropriate action will be determined based on the information and evidence available.

"For clarity, activities of the nature described in the report do not form part of MCMC's functions or mandate," the regulator said. "MCMC does not engage in such activities or arrangements."

The response follows Anthropic's threat intelligence report published on 10 September, which detailed its disruption of a commercial election-manipulation platform that allegedly used its Claude AI models to target Malaysian voters. The operation reportedly consisted of around 1,000 fake X accounts, a fabricated news outlet called Malaysia Pulse, and fabricated intelligence dossiers.

According to Anthropic, the platform used census and electoral data to profile voters across all 222 parliamentary constituencies, with the system designed to target sensitive political and social fault lines involving race, religion and royalty. It also allegedly used AI to generate and rewrite political content, operate fake social media accounts and artificially boost engagement.

Anthropic said the operation was linked to BBS Bilisim Teknolojileri, an Istanbul-based technology company that allegedly marketed the platform as a paid "influence-as-a-service" capability. The company also claimed that the operators had pursued a contract with Malaysia's national communications regulator, although it found no evidence that the attempt was successful.

MCMC said it is now examining the report and will seek clarification from the relevant parties before deciding on its next course of action. "Based on the information and evidence available, MCMC will determine the next appropriate course of action within its remit, in coordination with the relevant authorities where necessary," it said.

The regulator also reiterated that protecting the public and addressing online harms remain central to its responsibilities. It added that it remains committed to preserving a safe and trusted online environment for Malaysia.