The Communications and Digital Minister of Malaysia, Fahmi Fadzil, has asked the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to investigate Meta’s failure to tackle online scam ads on Facebook and Instagram. Fahmi has become a victim of impersonation when his image was used for a scam ad promoting an investment scheme. Online scam ads on Facebook and Instagram have been increasing lately. Fahmi wants Meta to take action against these scam ads to protect users from falling prey to online scams.
Fahmi Fadzil criticized Meta for not doing enough to tackle online scam ads on Facebook and Instagram. The ads include fake ads about cleaning services and car sales, which have become rampant on Facebook. Fahmi wants to know why Meta is slow to detect and act against scam ads. He also called for social media platforms to have a local presence in Malaysia to improve their response time to tackle scams.
Scam ads on social media, especially on Facebook, have been a persistent issue. These ads have even impersonated public figures and mainstream newspaper titles. As the advertising platform, Meta should be held responsible for approving scam ads that go against their advertising policy. Basic checks on new advertisers and setting up a local moderation team can prevent most of these scam ads.
Meta’s advertising moderation team for Malaysia is based outside of the country and no one in their Kuala Lumpur office can take down scam ads reported. The MCMC has limited power to act against Meta and there’s currently no strong framework to pressure them to take online safety seriously. Meta prioritizes revenue over user safety and has recently introduced a subscription service for faster support. Fahmi should introduce new policies and regulations to hold social media platforms accountable and make it mandatory for them to have a local moderation team and enforce checks on ads targeting Malaysians.
