Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has called on Meta to provide a full explanation following a recent report by Reuters. He described it as “very worrying” and “explosive,” saying it paints a troubling picture of Meta profiting from unlawful content that breaches Malaysian law. The minister stressed that the government will open an investigation and summon the social media giant to clarify the allegations.
“The Reuters report is detailed and cites internal Meta documents,” he said during a press conference after the Cabinet meeting earlier. “If true, it means Meta’s earnings include revenue from illegal activities that break the law, including in Malaysia.”
To recap, Reuters reported that internal Meta documents showed the company projected it would generate about US$16 billion, or 10% of its 2024 earnings, from advertisements linked to scams and banned goods. One document dated December 2024 noted that Meta distributed an estimated 15 billion “high-risk” scam ads daily, potentially earning about US$7 billion annually from that category.
Fahmi also highlighted that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has spent significant time addressing such content on Meta’s platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp. He said that from 1 January to 15 October this year, the total work time spent on reporting and requesting content removals from Meta amounted to 22.2 years.
“Each content removal request takes about 30 to 45 minutes,” he added. “We should send Meta a bill for all the work that we are doing on their behalf.”
Fahmi also revealed that Meta earned an estimated RM2.5 billion in advertising revenue from Malaysia in 2023. Based on the Reuters figures, about RM250 million of that amount may have come from scam and gambling-related ads. Although Meta denied the figures and claimed they were taken out of context, Fahmi said the company’s response was not satisfactory.
“I regret that this shocking report emerged yesterday, and we will be scrutinising it closely,” he said. “It will serve as the basis for us to call Meta in for a full explanation.”
He also noted that once the Online Safety Act (ONSA) takes effect, social media platforms must ensure harmful content is no longer accessible in Malaysia. “If they fail, action can be taken against them,” Fahmi warned.
(Source: Bernama)
