KUALA LUMPUR – Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil has issued a stern warning to Meta, urging the tech giant to step up its efforts in tackling online criminal activities on its platforms, particularly Facebook.
Earlier today, Fahmi held a crucial meeting with Meta representatives at the offices of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The meeting, which also involved officials from the Royal Malaysian Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the Home Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the National Financial Crime Prevention Centre (NFCC), and the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA), focused on key issues related to illegal activities occurring on Meta’s platforms.
Fahmi highlighted that Meta has been struggling to adequately address serious concerns, including online gambling, scams, the spread of fake news, content related to race, religion, and royal institutions (3R), and the sale of illicit products such as e-cigarette liquids containing drugs.
“As of September 19, 2025, a staggering 168,774 content removal requests were submitted for Facebook alone,” Fahmi said in a statement today.
“This accounted for 59% of all content removal requests across various social media platforms. Facebook was the platform with the highest number of complaints.”
Out of these requests, 120,127 were related to online gambling, yet only 114,665 pieces of content were removed. Similarly, of the 37,722 removal requests concerning scams, 36,918 were addressed, but many instances of illegal content remained active on the platform, raising concerns among authorities.
According to the CID, e-commerce fraud involving Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) has resulted in a cumulative loss of over RM248 million between 2023 and August 2025, with 18,128 reported cases.
Fahmi expressed frustration at Meta’s failure to fully cooperate in combating cybercrime, which he said hampers efforts to safeguard Malaysians from the growing online criminal threat.
“Meta has failed to provide full cooperation in addressing these criminal activities,” Fahmi said. “This poses a serious challenge for our authorities in protecting the public from the growing threat of online crime.”
Despite the challenges, Meta has assured the government of its commitment to intensifying efforts and improving cooperation to better manage illegal content.
Fahmi also reiterated that Meta, along with other social media platforms, was being urged to implement more effective age and identity verification mechanisms, such as the use of MyKad and MyDigital ID, to prevent underage users from accessing inappropriate content. “The current systems in place have proven inadequate in preventing minors from opening accounts and accessing harmful material,” he said.
The Minister emphasised that the Malaysian government, under the principles of the Madani government, would not tolerate any compromises when it comes to digital safety. He insisted that Meta and all social media providers must take greater responsibility to ensure that illegal content is swiftly removed from their platforms.
Looking ahead, Fahmi said that his ministry, together with enforcement agencies, would reinforce monitoring efforts and consider further action should Meta fail to enhance its cooperation in combating online crime. “We will consider taking further actions if the level of cooperation does not improve,” he warned. – September 22, 2025