Kuala Lumpur, September 4, 2025 — Malaysian authorities have summoned TikTok’s top executives over what officials describe as persistent delays in assisting investigations into fake news circulating on the platform. The move reflects the government’s heightened pressure on global social media companies to comply with national laws amid a surge in harmful online content.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil told state news agency Bernama that TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, had failed to respond promptly to multiple requests for information. He highlighted a recent case in which a man falsely posed on TikTok as a pathologist connected to a high-profile teenager’s death, fueling misinformation and public distress.
“TikTok was very slow in providing information, to the point that I had to call CEO Shou Zi Chew personally,” Fahmi said. “This is a crime being committed, and we cannot allow such an attitude.”
TikTok representatives have been ordered to appear at the Royal Malaysia Police headquarters on Thursday, where the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General are expected to attend.
Meta Also Summoned
Fahmi added that Meta Platforms Inc., the parent of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, will also be summoned over the spread of what he called “immoral” content, including paedophilia-related imagery.
“We see these platforms are not taking the matter seriously,” he said. “The dialogue process will continue, but we will stress that Malaysian law applies to them, and they must comply. We will summon every platform.”
Broader Scrutiny on Online Content
Malaysia has intensified its monitoring of social media in recent years following sharp rises in online scams, gambling promotions, cyberbullying, grooming, and sensitive content linked to race, religion, and royalty. The government maintains that platforms have a responsibility to act faster in removing and investigating such material.
TikTok and Meta have not issued comments in response to the latest summons.
