Meta and TikTok Restrict Record: In the first half of 2023, Facebook-owner Meta and China’s TikTok imposed restrictions on a record number of social media posts and accounts in Malaysia. The data, published by both companies in their respective transparency reports, revealed an unprecedented surge in government requests to remove content. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration, in power since November 2022, has faced accusations of curbing freedom of speech despite initial promises of reforms.
Between January and June 2023, Meta restricted approximately 3,100 pages and posts on Facebook and Instagram platforms, citing violations of local laws. This figure marked a sixfold increase from the previous half-year and the highest since Meta began reporting content restrictions in Malaysia in 2017. The company reported restricting access to over 3,500 items between July 2022 and June 2023 in response to reports from Malaysia’s communications regulator and other government agencies.
The restricted content included criticism of the government, violations of laws related to illegal gambling, hate speech, divisive racial or religious content, bullying, and financial scams, according to Meta’s report. TikTok, in a similar report issued last month, disclosed that it received 340 requests from the Malaysian government to remove or restrict content between January and June 2023, affecting 890 posts and accounts.
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TikTok removed or restricted 815 of those posts for violating local laws or the platform’s community guidelines, marking the highest removal in a six-month period since reporting requests from Malaysia began in 2019. This figure tripled the number of removals in the second half of 2022. Malaysia topped the list of Southeast Asian governments making content restriction requests on TikTok.
While TikTok detailed the number of requests, Meta did not publish the total number of government requests it received for content restrictions. Malaysia’s Communications Minister, Fahmi Fadzil, denied allegations of stifling dissent online and emphasized that the communications regulator often acted upon complaints from ordinary users. He also refuted claims of seeking removal of posts critical of him on social media.
Sensitive issues such as race, religion, and laws against seditious remarks or insults against the monarchy contribute to the delicate balance in Malaysia. The government’s actions have raised concerns among free speech advocates, with Article 19 denouncing the removal of critical posts and warning that increased requests to restrict content could stifle legitimate free speech and expression.