PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) has called on the government to take stronger, more decisive action against Meta Platforms Inc for its alleged role in enabling the spread of harmful content, including online gambling, financial scams and cybercrime-related advertisements across all its platforms.
Its president Siraj Jalil said this applies to major platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, as the widespread exploitation of Meta’s services by criminal syndicates involved in cybercrime warrants firm action.
“This is not only limited to illegal gambling advertisements, but also phishing scams, money mule recruitment, such as renting ATM cards, and unlicensed financial services as MCCA found these activities to be rampant across Meta’s platforms, often slipping past moderation systems.”
He added that Meta, which holds a Content Applications Service Provider licence under Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, is legally obliged to ensure its platforms comply with local laws.
He said the government must enforce this strictly, especially given Meta’s substantial influence and user base across multiple generations and demographics in Malaysia.
“According to MCCA research, different Meta platforms are favoured by different age groups. Millennials gravitate towards Facebook, Gen Z prefers Instagram, while WhatsApp remains the dominant messaging app across all generations.
“Threads, Meta’s X-like platform, has also emerged as a space in which harmful or suggestive content, such as provocative posts designed to lure users, is beginning to mirror the so-called dark side of X.
“Our recent study in Negeri Sembilan secondary schools found TikTok and Instagram to be the dominant platforms among students while WhatsApp and Telegram lead among messenger apps. Telegram, due to its anonymity, poses significant challenges in monitoring and enforcement,” he said.
He added that despite stricter registration processes on platforms, such as requiring verifiable email addresses, users find ways to remain anonymous, allowing illicit content to flourish. However, he acknowledged that Meta has made some improvements.
Siraj stressed that enforcement should not rest solely with regulatory bodies, such as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), as monitoring thousands of posts daily is unrealistic.
“We cannot just blame MCMC. They are people too. Users must play a role. If you see harmful content, report it. Make it a culture,” he said, adding that community reporting could significantly enhance content moderation.
He noted that such issues are not unique to Malaysia as online gambling and scams are global issues.
“Even in countries such as Indonesia and China, where online gambling is strictly illegal, syndicates still target users. Malaysia often becomes a base for these operations, especially for call centres targeting foreign users.
“That is why it is crucial for local governments to pressure global platforms such as Meta to comply with domestic laws. If Malaysia sets a precedent, other countries might follow.
“Our goal is simple. We want a healthy, safe digital environment for Malaysians. But it takes effort from everyone, the government, the platforms, the media and most importantly, the users,” he said.
On Monday, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil expressed concern over Meta’s failure to fully remove online gambling and scam content from its platforms, particularly on Facebook. He warned that if the company does not improve its content moderation, the government may consider taking further action.
He said as of Friday, the Communications Ministry has submitted 168,774 takedown requests to Meta, representing 59% of all social media takedown requests.
“Of these, 120,127 were related to online gambling, but only 114,665 were removed. For scams, 36,918 of 37,722 pieces of content were taken down, leaving some illegal content still visible.”
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department showed that e-commerce fraud on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp from 2023 to August resulted in losses exceeding RM248 million.
