Social media platforms have removed nearly 160,000 harmful posts flagged by Malaysian authorities so far in 2025. This highlights Malaysia’s strong commitment to online safety measures, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil confirmed.
Leading the efforts, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube took down the majority of the content. Facebook alone accounted for 57% of all removals. Minister Fahmi revealed that online gambling-related posts constituted 51% of the content taken down. This was followed by scam-related posts at 25%, cyberbullying at 12%, and fake news at 9%. These actions were in response to a total of 174,473 takedown requests submitted by Malaysian authorities this year.
Fahmi made the announcement during the Ministry of Communications’ monthly assembly. He was joined by Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching, Secretary-General Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, and Bernama CEO Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin. The Minister emphasized that these takedowns are part of a larger, nationwide initiative aimed at combating digital threats. These threats include not only unlicensed online gambling syndicates but also the serious issue of child exploitation.
Highlighting ongoing concerns, Fahmi noted the persistent presence of child exploitation content on platforms such as Facebook. He urged social media companies to implement more proactive and strategic measures to prevent such harmful content from resurfacing. He also pointed to last year’s joint operation, Op Pedo Bersepadu. This operation involved the Royal Malaysia Police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). It was a crucial component of the government’s long-term strategy to protect digital spaces.
Additionally, Malaysia’s recently enacted Online Safety Act (OnSA) 2024 received Royal Assent after parliamentary approval. This Act grants the MCMC enhanced enforcement powers. Under this legislation, platforms that fail to act on harmful content may face strict regulatory penalties. This marks a significant shift towards stronger digital governance in Malaysia.
