Malaysia Warns TikTok And Meta Of Blocking Pro-Palestinian Content

Malaysia's Minister of Communications, Fahmi Fadzil, (photo: twitter @fahmi_fadzil)

Malaysian communication regulators will give warnings to social media companies, TikTok and Meta Platform Inc., for allegedly blocking pro-Palestinian content on their platforms. This was said by the Minister of Communications of Malaysia, Fahmi Fadzil, on Thursday, October 26.

Meta has since said that it has not intentionally suppressed votes on the Facebook platform after Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the social media platform has been accused of limiting content supporting Palestine.

TikTok dan META sekat kandungan pro Palestin?Saya telah minta MCMC untuk beri teguran yang keras kepada TikTok dan META dalam isu ini.Kalau isu ini diabaikan, saya tidak teragak-agak untuk ambil pendekatan dan pendirian yang amat tegas. pic.twitter.com/pn4IppdMdy

— Fahmi Fadzil 🇲🇾 (@fahmi_fadzil) October 26, 2023

TikTok and META are partitioned in pro-Palestin content? I have asked MCMC to give a strong warning to TikTok and META on this issue. If this issue is ignored, I am not too strong to take a very firm approach and stance. pic.twitter.com/pn4IppdMdy

"If this matter is ignored, I will not hesitate to take a very firm approach and attitude," Fahmi said in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Without providing further explanation, Fahmi said many parties had urged the government to take firm action against social media platforms suspected of limiting pro-Palestinian content. But Meta's spokesman said there was no truth in the claim.

"Our policy is designed to keep users safe on our app while voting for everyone," the spokesperson said in an email to Reuters on Thursday.

While TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the media.

Fahmi said that the Malaysian people have the right to free speech on Palestinian issues, and added that these rights should not be taken.

He said he would meet with representatives of TikTok next week to discuss the matter.

This concern comes two weeks after Fahmi said that TikTok has not fully complied with Malaysian law and has not done enough to limit slanderous or misleading content. TikTok in its response said it would take proactive steps to deal with raised issues.