The MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) has taken an important step. It requested the removal of 249,268 pieces of content from Facebook this year. This is part of its ongoing effort to protect citizens from digital threats. The initiative underscores the government’s commitment to fighting online gambling and scams. These issues have become increasingly prevalent on social media platforms.
Speaking during the debate on the Supply Bill 2025 for his ministry, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil detailed the huge majority of these removal requests, 91.6%, were directly related to online gambling as well as scams. MCMC has clearly identified 172,072 items linked to online gambling and 56,136 related to various fraudulent schemes. This proactive measure by the MCMC demonstrates the government’s determination to crack down on illegal activities. These activities not only violate local laws but also pose significant financial risks to Malaysians.
As reported by Bernama, MCMC does not have the authority to direct social media platforms to remove content. They can only request that the platform take down the content, but the platform decides.
Fahmi pointed out the regulatory challenges faced by Malaysian authorities during his address in the Dewan Rakyat. He emphasized that the MCMC does not have the authority to enforce content removal directly. It can only request social media platforms like Facebook to comply. Within the confines of national jurisdiction, this distinction highlights the complexities of regulating global digital platforms.
Fahmi also disclosed the economic impact of these scams, revealing that Malaysians lost a significant RM432 million to deceptive practices on Facebook last year. He stated in a revealing statistic that Facebook generated revenues amounting to RM2.5 billion from Malaysia with a remarkable portion coming from advertisements. Some of these linked to online investment scams.
