MMCM TO SUMMON META OVER REPORTED PROFITS FROM FRAUD, GAMBLING ADS

PUTRAJAYA, 8 Nov (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will summon Meta to provide an official explanation following a Reuters report that the company profited from advertisements linked to fraud and online gambling.

MCMC, in a statement today, said it views the report seriously, describing the matter as a potential breach of public trust and law, if proven true.

“MCMC shares the concerns expressed by the Minister of Communications, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, and will commence an investigation into this matter,” read the statement.

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 The commission also revealed that between Jan 1 and Nov 4 this year,  it had submitted a total of 157,208 take-down requests to Meta involving advertisements promoting illegal activities, and 44,922 requests related specifically to fraudulent advertisements, the highest number compared to other platforms.

During the same period, MCMC made 3,956 takedown requests to TikTok, 269 to Telegram, 11 to X and 45,448 to YouTube for similar issues.

“MCMC has advised Meta to take more proactive steps to combat online fraud and gambling as its current efforts remain insufficient,” it said.

The commission further emphasised that all social media platforms and online messaging services must be legally licensed and prove the effectiveness of their systems in preventing illegal activities.

“If there is evidence that any platform is abetting or facilitating illegal activities, appropriate action will be taken in accordance with the laws of the country,” it said.

— BERNAMA