Malaysia has announced its intention to take legal action against Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, for its failure to remove “undesirable” posts from its platform. The move represents the strongest measure taken by Malaysia to address harmful content. Since the closely contested national election last year, the country has experienced increased ethnic tensions, leading the administration of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to crack down on provocative posts related to race and religion.

According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, Facebook has been with a massive amount of unacceptable content, including content related to race, religion, false accusations, impersonation, illicit gambling, and fraudulent advertisements. Despite repeated requests, Meta has allegedly not taken sufficient action, prompting the need for legal action to promote cybersecurity accountability and protect consumers. Meta has not yet responded to the announcement, and the nature of the legal action to be taken remains unclear.

In Malaysia, issues of race, religion, and commentary on the country’s royalty are sensitive topics. Negative remarks towards the royal family can be tried under sedition laws. The legal action against Facebook comes just before regional elections in six states, where Anwar’s multi-ethnic coalition will face off against a conservative Malay Muslim alliance. Facebook is the largest social media platform in Malaysia, with an estimated 60% of the population having a registered account. Regulatory scrutiny over content posted on social media platforms is a global concern, with Southeast Asian governments frequently requesting the removal of specific content. As an example Vietnam has in the past threatened to shut down Facebook altogether if it did not comply with government demands to censor more local political content on its platform.