On Friday, Malaysia announced plans to initiate legal action against Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, for its failure to remove “undesirable” posts. This development marks the most significant step taken by the country to address problematic content on social media.
The government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has pledged to tackle provocative online posts related to race and religion since assuming office in November. This commitment follows a contentious election that has heightened ethnic tensions within the Southeast Asian nation.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission highlighted a troubling trend on Facebook, describing the platform as “plagued by” an increased volume of undesirable content, including issues surrounding race, monarchy, religion, defamation, impersonation, online gambling, and scams.
The commission emphasized that Meta has not responded adequately to its numerous requests for content removal, prompting the need for legal action to ensure accountability in cybersecurity and protect consumers.
Meta has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the situation.
In an email statement on Saturday, the commission clarified the nature of the legal action it might pursue, citing that allowing the misuse of network facilities or application services could constitute an offence under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Furthermore, the law permits the prosecution of company officials for “wilfully providing means and aiding criminal activity” if timely action is not taken.
Issues surrounding race and religion are particularly sensitive in Malaysia, which has a majority Muslim ethnic Malay population alongside significant ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.
The commentary regarding the country’s royal family is also a contentious subject, with negative remarks potentially subjected to sedition laws.
This move against Facebook comes just weeks before elections in six states, where Anwar’s multi-ethnic coalition is expected to face off against a conservative Malay Muslim alliance.
Facebook serves as Malaysia’s leading social media platform, with approximately 60 percent of the country’s 33 million residents holding registered accounts.
Globally, social media giants, including Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, are frequently under regulatory scrutiny regarding the content shared on their platforms.
Governments across Southeast Asia have repeatedly urged these companies to take down contentious content. In 2020, Vietnam warned it would close down Facebook if the company did not comply with demands to censor political content. Last year, authorities reported that social media platforms operating in Vietnam had removed over 3,200 posts and videos containing false information that violated local laws.
In Indonesia, in 2019, Facebook removed multiple local accounts, pages, and groups associated with a fake news operation.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
