Meta under pressure as 168,774 Facebook content removals sought

Malaysia’s communications minister Fahmi Fadzil has criticised Meta again, for failing to adequately tackle online crimes on its platforms, particularly Facebook, following a high-level meeting with the company at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) office on 22 September.

The meeting was also attended by senior representatives from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the National Anti-Financial Crime Centre (NFCC), and the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA). Discussions centred on critical issues involving Meta platforms, including online gambling, scams, fake news, 3R-related content (religion, race, royalty), and the sale of illegal products such as drug-laced e-cigarette liquids.

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According to Fahmi, Facebook has become the most problematic platform for harmful content. As of 19 September, authorities submitted 168,774 content takedown requests for Facebook alone, representing 59% of all removal requests across social media. Of these, 120,127 requests were related to online gambling, yet only 114,665 were actioned. Similarly, for scam-related content, 37,722 takedown requests were filed, but 804 pieces of harmful content remain active on the platform.

Commercial crime data underscored the severity of the issue. Between 2023 and August 2025, e-commerce scams across Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) led to over RM248 million in losses, involving 18,128 cases. Fahmi said the statistics show Meta has not provided full cooperation in addressing cybercrime, undermining efforts to protect Malaysians from online threats.

While Meta has given assurances it will strengthen cooperation and enforcement, Fahmi stressed that platforms must do more. Among the ministry’s key demands is the introduction of stronger age and identity verification systems, such as MyKad and MyDigital ID, to prevent underage users from creating accounts and being exposed to harmful content.

“The government will not compromise on digital safety,” Fahmi said. “Meta and all social media platforms must take greater responsibility to ensure unlawful content is swiftly removed.” The ministry and enforcement agencies will step up monitoring efforts and consider further action if Meta’s cooperation does not improve.

This latest warning to Meta follows a series of government crackdowns on major platforms. Earlier in June, Fahmi criticised Meta and X for offering excuses and resisting local regulation, particularly around harmful and suicide-related content. More recently, TikTok was warned it could face legal action if it failed to curb harmful activity, with top executives summoned to meet police and regulators in Kuala Lumpur. The developments highlight the growing pressure on tech platforms in Malaysia to align with local laws and expectations.

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