Social Media Platforms Agree to Remove 159,518 Pieces of Harmful Content

Strategic Insights -

Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil announced that social media platforms Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube have agreed to remove 159,518 pieces of content related to online gambling, scams, cyberbullying, and fake news as of yesterday. This is part of 174,473 online content takedown requests made so far this year, with nearly 160,000 pieces of content having been taken down. The majority of the content involved online gambling, with 57% being on Facebook, 28% on TikTok, and 13% on YouTube.

Key Takeaways:

  • Social media platforms Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube have agreed to remove 159,518 pieces of harmful content related to online gambling, scams, cyberbullying, and fake news as of yesterday.
  • The removal of content is part of 174,473 online content takedown requests made so far this year, with nearly 160,000 pieces of content having been taken down.
  • The majority of the removed content (51%) involved online gambling, followed by scams (25%), cyberbullying (12%), and fake news (9%).
  • The distribution of removed content across platforms breaks down as follows: 57% on Facebook, 28% on TikTok, and 13% on YouTube.
  • The Communications Ministry's efforts to remove harmful content have been ongoing, with the ministry discussing the need for a more strategic and efficient approach to tackle the issue of child exploitation content online.
  • The government has implemented a licensing framework for social media platforms to make digital platforms in Malaysia safer, especially for children.
  • The Online Safety Act (OnSA) 2024 has been passed in Parliament and is currently in the process of being enforced, granting the MCMC the authority to take action against social media platforms that fail to fulfil their obligations.

Statistics:

  • 159,518 pieces of harmful content removed from social media platforms as of yesterday.
  • 174,473 online content takedown requests made so far this year.
  • 160,000 pieces of content taken down in total.
  • 51% of removed content involved online gambling.
  • 25% of removed content involved scams.
  • 12% of removed content involved cyberbullying.
  • 9% of removed content involved fake news.
  • 57% of removed content on Facebook.
  • 28% of removed content on TikTok.
  • 13% of removed content on YouTube.
  • 95% of overall problems on social media platforms come from Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

Sources:

  • BERNAMA News Agency (2025)
  • Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)
  • Royal Malaysia Police
  • Online Safety Act (OnSA) 2024