[1/2]A TikTok logo is displayed on a smartphone in this illustration taken January 6, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 (Reuters) – Malaysia’s communications regulator will issue a warning to social media firms TikTok and Meta (META.O) for allegedly blocking pro-Palestinian content on their platforms, its communications minister said on Thursday.
Meta has since said it was not deliberately suppressing voices on its Facebook platform after Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the social media platforms had been accused of restricting content supporting the Palestinians.
“If this issue is ignored, I will not hesitate to take a very firm approach and stance,” Fahmi said in a posting on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Without elaborating, Fahmi said many parties had urged the government to take firm action against social media platforms for allegedly restricting pro-Palestinian content.
A spokesperson from Meta said there was “no truth” to the claim.
“Our policies are designed to keep people safe on our apps while giving everyone a voice,” the spokesperson said in an email to Reuters on Thursday.
TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Fahmi said Malaysians have a right to freedom of speech regarding the Palestinian cause, adding that right will not be taken away.
He said he will meet TikTok representatives next week to discuss the matter.
The concerns come two weeks after Fahmi said TikTok had not complied fully with Malaysia’s laws and had not done enough to curb defamatory or misleading content. TikTok in a response said it would take proactive measures to address the issues raised.
Reporting by Danial Azhar, Rozanna Latiff and A. Ananthalakshmi; editing by Martin Petty and Jason Neely
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