Meta and TikTok may receive an official warning from Malaysia’s communications regulator due to allegations of blocking pro-Palestinian content. The communications minister in Malaysia has expressed concern over potential censorship of pro-Palestinian content on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The popular short video-sharing app is particularly favored among the youth.
Fahmi Fadzil, Malaysia’s communications minister, accused the social media platforms of restricting content that supports the Palestinians. However, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, quickly denied these allegations, stating that they are not intentionally suppressing voices on their platforms. “Our policies are designed to keep people safe on our apps while giving everyone a voice,” stated a Meta spokesperson in an email to Reuters.
Fahmi emphasized that if this issue is disregarded, he will take a firm approach and stance. Although he did not elaborate on the specific actions, besides issuing an official warning, Fahmi mentioned that multiple parties in Malaysia have urged the government to take action against Meta and TikTok for supposedly limiting pro-Palestinian content. He firmly declared that Malaysians have the right to express their opinions about the Palestinian cause and that this right will not be undermined.
To address the matter, Fahmi is scheduled to meet with TikTok representatives next week. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the alleged restrictions on pro-Palestinian content.
