The government of Malaysia has issued a sharp public rebuke to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, accusing the tech giant of an
The government of Malaysia has issued a sharp public rebuke to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, accusing the tech giant of an inadequate and slow response to official requests to remove illegal content.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil stated that his office had held a high-level meeting with Meta representatives to convey the government’s serious concerns. He revealed the staggering scale of the problem, noting that Facebook alone had received 168,774 removal requests from Malaysian authorities as of 19 September. The vast majority of these-over 120,000-were related to the promotion of illegal online gambling, an activity that is banned in the country.
The government’s frustration is being driven by the significant real-world harm caused by the proliferation of this content. “ Meta’s lack of timely action exposes internet users to scams and harmful gambling networks,” Fahmi warned.
This is backed up by police data. Between 2023 and August 2025, authorities recorded 18,128 cases of e-commerce scams carried out across Meta’s platforms, resulting in financial losses for Malaysians of more than RM 248 million ($52.7m). The government argues that this demonstrates a clear failure of content moderation that is having a direct and damaging impact on its citizens.
The public criticism of Meta is part of a much wider and more systematic effort by Malaysia to get a grip on its digital space. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) reported that it had facilitated the removal of over 558,000 pieces of unlawful content since January 2022.
The government is also introducing new legislative tools to increase its leverage over global tech companies. It has recently introduced a new Code of Conduct for social media firms and now requires them to obtain an Application Service Provider licence to operate in the country, giving regulators a direct mechanism to enforce compliance.
This public confrontation is a clear signal that the Malaysian government is losing patience and is prepared to take a harder line. For the iGaming industry, it’s a stark reminder of the immense risks of using social media to target black markets like Malaysia. The government is now moving beyond just targeting the operators themselves and is holding the world’s largest tech platforms directly accountable for distributing their marketing content. This multi-front enforcement strategy is rapidly becoming the standard playbook for regulators across Southeast Asia.
