KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The Malaysian government is considering unprecedented legal action against Meta Platforms Inc. (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) for its repeated failure to remove a massive wave of fake accounts impersonating the country’s Malay Rulers.
As reported on Sunday, May 10, 2026, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil expressed deep disappointment with the tech giant, stating that while the government views legal recourse as a “last option,” they are now “close to that last option.”
Monitoring by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and a surge in public complaints have revealed an organized campaign of identity theft targeting the nation’s highest institution.
- 15,296 Fake Accounts: Between January and April 2026, authorities identified over 15,000 fraudulent accounts.
- 26 Royal Family Members: The impersonations target nearly all of Malaysia’s hereditary royal households, including the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, and Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin.
- Platform Concentration: While fake accounts were detected on TikTok and Instagram, the “overwhelming majority” were found on Facebook.
In Malaysia, the “3Rs”—Race, Religion, and Royalty—are considered highly sensitive pillars of national stability protected under the Federal Constitution.
- Constitutional Respect: Minister Fahmi emphasized that international platforms must respect the unique role of the Malay Rulers. “They [Meta] seem to show no respect for the institution… which is extremely important and enshrined in the Constitution,” he told reporters in Melaka.
- Scams and Gambling: Beyond identity theft, the ministry reported that over 230,000 pieces of content were flagged for removal across social media in early 2026, with 90% linked to online gambling and scams that often use fake royal endorsements to lure victims.
The government is preparing to use the newly gazetted Online Safety Act to enforce compliance. The penalties for social media platforms that fail to curb harmful content or ignore take-down orders are severe:
| Penalty Type | Estimated Fine (MYR) | Estimated Fine (USD) |
| Initial Non-Compliance | Up to RM1 Million | ~$225,000 |
| Continuing Offense | RM100,000 per day | ~$22,500 per day |
| Maximum Aggregate Fine | Up to RM10 Million | ~$2.25 Million |
To further tighten digital security, the government is moving toward:
- Platform Licensing: As of January 1, 2026, social media platforms with more than eight million Malaysian users are required to hold a local license, giving the government greater regulatory leverage.
- Identity Verification: The ministry is pushing for the implementation of Electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) systems to verify the identities of account creators and prevent mass-scale bot impersonations.
While Meta has complied with roughly 96% of recent MCMC take-down requests, the Malaysian government argues that the company’s preventative measures remain unsatisfactory. The minister noted that despite “several warnings,” the speed at which new fake accounts appear suggests that Meta’s automated moderation systems are not calibrated to protect the specific sanctity of the Malaysian monarchy.
The Malaysian government is expected to meet with Meta leadership in the coming weeks for a “final reprimand” before initiating formal court proceedings.