Malaysia Pushes Meta to Combat Illegal Online Gambling Content

Malaysia’s Communication Minister Challenges Meta

Malaysia’s Communications Minister, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, has urged the social media giant Meta to adhere to the country’s laws by ensuring that illegal online gambling content is not accessible on its platforms.

Government Agencies Collaborate on Content Regulation

This call followed a meeting that included representatives from Meta and multiple Malaysian authorities such as the Royal Malaysian Police’s Criminal Investigation Department, the Commercial Crimes Investigation Department, the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Home Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the National Financial Crime Prevention Centre, and the National Cyber Security Agency.

Pressure on Meta to Take More Stringent Action

Datuk Fahmi expressed concerns that despite Meta’s initial cooperation, the platform has not effectively addressed the ongoing issues related to illegal gambling content. He warned that more stringent regulatory actions may be taken if the situation does not improve.

According to Fahmi, Facebook alone received 168,774 content takedown requests, making up 59% of all reports tied to Meta’s social media services. Notably, 120,127 of these requests were specifically related to illegal gambling content. However, only 114,665 pieces of such content were removed. The discussions also covered other problematic content including scams and the sale of banned items like drug-laced vaping products.

Future Steps and Regional Context

The Minister indicated that the Malaysian Communications Ministry, in partnership with enforcement agencies, plans to intensify monitoring efforts and escalate actions if Meta does not improve its level of cooperation.

Meta is facing similar challenges across Southeast Asia and other regions. For instance, countries like Italy have also held social media companies accountable for illegal gambling content appearing on their platforms within local jurisdictions.