KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia may not go through with a plan to take legal action against Facebook parent Meta Platforms following “positive” engagement with the firm on tackling harmful content on the social media platform, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said in an interview on Friday.
Last month, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it would take legal action against Meta for failing to act against “undesirable” content relating to race, royalty, religion, defamation, impersonation, online gambling, and scam advertisements.
Fahmi said Meta had since given a firm commitment to work with Malaysian authorities, including the regulator and the police, to tackle such posts on its platforms.
“I don’t think MCMC needs at this point in time to initiate any legal action. I think this level of cooperation is very positive,” he said, adding that the government was considering measures such as fines against social media platforms if they failed to tackle harmful content.
Facebook is Malaysia’s biggest social media platform, with an estimated 60 percent of the country’s 33 million people having a registered account.
Fahmi dismissed concerns raised over increased government scrutiny of online content, and denied issuing orders to take down several opposition-linked news sites and social media accounts in recent weeks.
The take-downs, he said, were likely to have been made in response to complaints made by ordinary users for violating social media guidelines.
The outages came as Malaysia prepares to hold regional elections next month that will pit Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration against a conversative Malay-Muslim alliance.
The government did not intend to curb freedom of expression, but drew the line at content touching on race, religion, and royalty, Fahmi said.
“Those who cry out, saying that we are an iron-fisted dictatorship, I think they’re being a tad bit dramatic,” he said.
Race and religion are thorny issues in Malaysia, which has a majority of mainly Muslim ethnic Malays alongside significant Chinese and Indian minorities.
Malaysia also has laws prohibiting insults against its sultans, who play a largely ceremonial role. An opposition figure was charged this month with sedition for allegedly insulting them.
Separately, Fahmi said Malaysia’s major telecommunications firms will form the country’s second 5G network, as part of the government’s plan to end a monopoly held by state-owned 5G agency Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB).
The firms, which have agreed to take up stakes in DNB and use its network, will split to form the second 5G entity when coverage reaches 80 percent of populated areas, Fahmi said.
Malaysia reverses plan to take legal action against Meta over harmful content
https://arab.news/wbdwd
Malaysia reverses plan to take legal action against Meta over harmful content
- Last month, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it would take legal action against Meta
- Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said Meta had since given a firm commitment to work with Malaysian authorities
Saudi gaming industry has promising future, says Qiddiya executive
- Mike Milanov said that the industry had surpassed the combined industries of film, television, music and sports worldwide
- Milanov added that Saudi Arabia had talented teams with strong skills in esports and game development
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is uniquely positioned for a highly promising future in the gaming sector, which is valued at $323 billion globally, according to the head of gaming at Saudi entertainment megaproject Qiddiya.
Mike Milanov, the company’s head of gaming and esports, spoke during the session “The Global Era of Gaming: How It Became the New Frontier for Media and Entertainment” at the Saudi Media Forum 2026 in Riyadh.
The industry, he said, had surpassed the combined industries of film, television, music and sports worldwide and was growing globally at an annual rate of 3 percent to 9 percent, expected to reach about $623 billion by 2035
He added that future generations held different perspectives and levels of engagement, as gaming represented a form of digital advancement and a powerful tool for connection.
Milanov also highlighted how Saudi Arabia had talented teams with strong skills in esports and game development, along with significant creative and innovative energy that supported building relationships both locally and globally.
He further noted that Qiddiya City spanned nearly 330 sq. km, and that more than 86 percent of Saudis identified themselves as gamers, reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as one of the world’s largest gaming and esports markets.
Karen Starr, vice president of marketing, branding and creative at Activision Publishing, also spoke during the panel and emphasized the major role gaming played across social media platforms.
She described this influence as positive for brand building, especially given the young audiences that followed gaming brands.
Starr added that the sustainability of major gaming brands depended on continuous engagement, community-building, and adapting content locally to maintain cultural relevance.
She explained that gaming had evolved into an ongoing media experience based on constant interaction and long-term audience connection.
She also said that gaming today had become a global media force that had surpassed traditional channels, shaping culture, content and audience engagement over time.
Meanwhile, Shelley Williams, executive vice president of sales at F1 Arcade Simulation, spoke about how gaming experiences were built on a sense of belonging and participation, which helped to create stronger infrastructure and extended media experiences.
She said that shared audience experiences opened the door to new ecosystems and further game development, supporting long-term content sustainability.
