Facebook-owner Meta and China's TikTok have restricted a record number of social media posts and accounts in Malaysia in the first half of 2023, according to data published by the companies. The increase in content removal requests comes as the Malaysian government faces accusations of backpedaling on its promises to protect freedom of speech. The government has denied stifling dissent online and instead claims to be targeting provocative posts related to race, religion, and royalty.
Meta's Transparency Report revealed that between January and June of this year, they restricted approximately 3,100 pages and posts on Facebook and Instagram in Malaysia due to alleged violations of local laws. This number is six times higher than the previous six-month period and represents the highest number of content restrictions reported by the company since it began monitoring Malaysia in 2017.
The Malaysian communications regulator stated that their efforts to remove content on social media platforms were aimed at safeguarding users against escalating online harms rather than suppressing diverse viewpoints. Meta's report disclosed that between July 2022 and June 2023, they restricted access to over 3,500 items based on requests from the communications regulator and other government agencies. The restricted content included government criticism, illegal gambling, hate speech, divisive content, bullying, and financial scams.
TikTok's report, issued last month, revealed that the Malaysian government made 340 requests to remove or restrict content on the platform between January and June 2023, affecting 890 posts and accounts. TikTok complied and removed or restricted 815 of these due to violations of local laws or the platform's community guidelines. This is the highest number of removals in a six-month period since TikTok began reporting requests from Malaysia in 2019, tripling the previous period's count.
Malaysia had the highest number of content restriction requests directed at TikTok compared to any other Southeast Asian government. However, Meta did not publish the total number of government requests it received for content restrictions.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission highlighted a significant increase in harmful content on social media platforms, with the number of cases rising from 1,019 in the previous year to 25,642 in 2023. The harmful content includes scams, illegal sales, gambling, fake news, and hate speech. The commission did not provide a breakdown of the specific platforms associated with each type of harmful content.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil clarified that the communications regulator takes action based on complaints from ordinary users and denied allegations of requesting the removal of posts critical of him on social media.
Given the sensitivity of race and religion in Malaysia, where the ethnic Malay population is predominantly Muslim but with significant Chinese and Indian minorities, laws prohibiting seditious remarks or insults against the monarchy are in place. Fahmi previously criticized TikTok for failing to address defamatory or misleading content and accused the platform of noncompliance with local laws. TikTok responded by promising proactive measures to address these concerns.
The government had also threatened legal action against Meta for its failure to remove "undesirable" content. However, the plan was apparently dropped after discussions with the company.
The removal of critical government posts and the increased requests to restrict content have raised concerns among free speech advocates, such as Article 19, who warn that legitimate freedom of speech and expression could be stifled. Upholding the importance of free expression, Nalini Elumalai, Article 19's senior Malaysia programme officer, stated that it is never permissible to prohibit expression solely based on a critical stance towards social issues, public figures, or government institutions.