Malaysia blocks over 5,000 gambling sites, Facebook accounts for 93% of removals
Malaysia has blocked 5,026 online gambling websites in collaboration with internet service providers from 2022 until 01 February 2025, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil confirmed. Additionally, 224,403 gambling-related posts on social media platforms have been removed.
“Of this total, 2,906 gambling-related posts, or 93.14% of the cases mentioned, were removed from Facebook alone. This also means that Facebook is a major hub for online gambling advertisements,” Fahmi said during a parliamentary session on Thursday (13 February 2025).
He added that these measures aim to ensure compliance with the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588) and the .
“It also seeks to enhance accountability for the content and online interactions made available to users,” he said in response to a question from Capt Azahari Hasan (Perikatan Nasional-Padang Rengas) regarding government efforts to combat online gambling.
Actions on scams and social media licensing
Addressing concerns over scams involving the images of public figures, Fahmi said the MCMC is working closely with the police to remove fraudulent content from social media.
He also noted that the government has been providing technical assistance, including digital forensic analysis, to speed up investigations into online gambling offences.
On social media licensing, which took effect on 01 January 2025, Fahmi said reactions from platform providers have varied. While some attempted to delay the process, others have shown increased cooperation in removing illegal content.
“For example, YouTube (under Google) contained a significant number of gambling advertisements. We requested the removal of 5,167 such content, of which 5,115 have been taken down. This means that while Google is not licensed, it has still provided good cooperation,” he said.
However, he pointed out that not all platforms have been as responsive. Telegram, for instance, had only removed 39 per cent of the flagged content since the licensing rules were enforced.
“This is because they don’t have enough content moderators to take the necessary actions,” he added.
The Malaysian government continues its efforts to regulate online content and curb illegal gambling activities, urging social media platforms to comply with national laws.
