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Why Malaysia may take legal action against Meta
10 May 2026

Malaysia is considering legal action against Meta for not doing enough to stop fake accounts impersonating the country's Malay rulers.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil revealed that between January and May this year, over 15,000 such accounts were flagged by public complaints and ministry monitoring.

These accounts used the names of 26 royal family members, Bernama reported.

Over 230,000 pieces of content flagged for removal
Content removal

Fahmi further said that more than 230,000 pieces of content across different social media platforms have been flagged for removal.

Over 90% of these flagged contents are related to online gambling and scams.

The majority of the fake accounts are on Facebook, with others being found on Instagram and TikTok.

Malaysia can take action under Online Safety Act
Legal framework

Malaysia's unique constitutional monarchy is made up of nine hereditary Malay rulers who take turns serving five-year terms.

Under the Online Safety Act, Malaysia can take action against Meta.

The provisions of this act include fines up to RM 1 million ($260,000) for failing to comply with a take-down order, and daily fines of RM 100,000 for continuing offenses. Other penalties can go as high as RM 10 million.