KUALA LUMPUR – Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil will meet executives from Meta later this month as the government ramps up pressure on the tech giant to curb illegal online gambling content proliferating on its platforms.
Fahmi confirmed the September 22 meeting, saying Facebook remained a hotbed for gambling ads despite repeated government complaints.
“The majority of content taken down from Facebook is related to gambling. It is far too easy to find such material on the platform,” he told reporters today.
Fahmi said Meta had so far refused to block credit card accounts used to purchase illegal ads, despite knowing gambling promotions are banned in Malaysia.
“If a gambling ad is paid for using a credit card, and Facebook knows this content is illegal in Malaysia, they should block the credit card account used. But Facebook has refused to do so,” he said.
Fahmi stressed that the government was opting for dialogue instead of punitive measures, ruling out any move to ban or shut down the platform.
“Many people benefit from these platforms socially and economically — but we cannot allow criminals to misuse them for profit or to commit online crimes,” Fahmi said.
He added that discussions with Meta would also cover licensing questions raised by companies operating in Malaysia. — September 14, 2025