Malaysia: Announced MCMC lawsuit against Meta over alleged non-compliance with harmful content removal orders

On 23 June 2023, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced that it is filing a lawsuit against Meta over its non-cooperation to remove harmful content from its platform. The MCMC stated that it had notified Meta regarding posts containing harmful content on the Facebook platform, including related to race, nobility, religion, defamation, impersonation, online gambling, and deceptive advertising. According to MCMC, despite repeated requests, the parent company Meta has allegedly taken insufficient measures to address these issues. Due to the lack of cooperation and the urgency of the matter, MCMC has decided to take legal action against Meta. The MCMC stated that the aims of the legal action are to ensure cyber security, protect consumers, and prevent fraud and emphasised its zero-tolerance policy towards the misuse of online platforms and telecommunications facilities, particularly when it involves cyber activities that threaten racial stability, social harmony, or respect for those in power.