THE nation’s communications regulator has ordered Meta to provide an official explanation following a Reuters report alleging that the company profited from advertisements linked to scams, online gambling, and other illicit activities.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it shared the concerns raised by Minister of Communications, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, and would summon Meta for a formal briefing on the issue. MCMC also announced that it would initiate an investigation into the claims.
“If the allegations are proven true, this represents a serious breach of public trust and a violation of Malaysian law,” the commission said in a statement on Saturday.
According to MCMC, discussions had already taken place with several major social media platforms, including Meta, prior to the Reuters exposé, regarding the prevalence of fraudulent and illegal advertisements online.
During these engagements, MCMC raised concerns over the exceptionally high number of takedown requests it had to submit to Meta compared with other platforms. Between 1 January and 4 November 2025, the regulator lodged 157,208 requests with Meta to remove advertisements promoting unlawful online activities, and a further 44,922 relating specifically to scam content.
By contrast, takedown requests for online gambling ads submitted during the same period totalled 45,448 for YouTube, 3,956 for TikTok, 269 for Telegram, and just 11 for X (formerly Twitter).
MCMC said it had repeatedly advised Meta to adopt a more proactive stance in combating online scams and gambling, noting that current measures remained inadequate and continued to harm users.
“To ensure stronger online safety, all social media platforms and internet messaging services must be legally licensed and demonstrate that they have systems and safeguards in place to prevent illegal activities,” MCMC added.
The regulator also called for platforms to implement user identity verification systems to improve transparency and accountability.
MCMC warned that any evidence of deliberate facilitation or complicity by platforms in unlawful activities would trigger decisive legal action under Malaysian law. - November 8, 2025
