Meta has acknowledged that a technical error in its systems caused legitimate local WhatsApp user activity to be incorrectly identified as violations, affecting more than half of the cases in the first batch submitted by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The company said the issue was addressed at the end of September, with affected accounts proactively restored.
In a statement today, the regulator said it had received feedback from Meta regarding the WhatsApp account suspension issues previously raised with the company. Meta also confirmed that the incident did not involve any changes to its enforcement policies or WhatsApp’s Terms of Service.
Earlier this week, MCMC had sought a comprehensive explanation from Meta regarding complaints over WhatsApp account suspensions. At the time, the commission said it was seeking clarity on the reasons behind the suspensions and the mechanisms used to review affected accounts.
Other Reasons For Suspensions
For cases not affected by the technical error, Meta said WhatsApp account suspensions can involve several factors. These include recycled phone numbers that were previously associated with blocked accounts, spam or scam activity, as well as usage patterns detected by WhatsApp’s security systems.
Meta also clarified that user reports are only one factor considered when determining whether an account should be suspended, rather than being the sole basis for enforcement. This means an account can still be flagged based on other signals detected by WhatsApp’s security systems.
Business accounts may also be affected if they send messages without recipients’ consent or send them in high volumes, particularly to people who are not in the sender’s contact list. Meta therefore advised business users to obtain consent before sending messages in bulk.
MCMC Wants Better Appeal Process
MCMC has meanwhile asked Meta to improve its appeal and account recovery processes for affected users. In particular, it wants users to receive confirmation that their appeals have been submitted, updates on the status of reviews and clearer and faster action on account recovery.
The regulator also advised affected users to use WhatsApp’s official appeal and support channels when seeking to regain access to their accounts. MCMC said it will continue monitoring outstanding cases and whether Meta implements the improvements requested. It added that further regulatory action could be considered if the company’s measures are found to be inadequate.
(Source: The Edge Malaysia)
