Malaysian authorities have summoned TikTok’s top management over the social media company’s alleged delays in addressing fake news on its platform, according to the state news agency Bernama. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil criticized TikTok for responding too slowly to requests for assistance in police investigations.

The summoning comes after a recent case where a man falsely claimed on TikTok to be a pathologist involved in an investigation into the high-profile death of a Malaysian teenager.

“TikTok was very slow in providing information … to the point that I had to call TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to inform him, ‘this is a crime that’s being committed and your organization is very slow,'” Fahmi said in a statement. “We cannot allow such an attitude.”

According to Reuters, TikTok representatives will meet with Malaysian authorities at the police headquarters on Thursday (Sept. 4, 2025), with the police chief and attorney general expected to be in attendance.

Broader Scrutiny of Social Media

Malaysia has intensified scrutiny of social media companies after reporting a sharp rise in harmful online content. Malaysian authorities classify online gambling, scams, child pornography, cyberbullying, and content related to race, religion, and royalty as harmful.

Reuters notes that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, will also be summoned over the spread of “immoral” content, including child pornography.

“We see these platforms are not taking the matter seriously, so the dialogue process will continue and we will stress that Malaysian law applies to them and they must comply. We will summon every platform,” Fahmi said.

Regulatory Environment Tightens

The Malaysian government requires social media operators to apply for operating licenses to combat cyber offenses. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has introduced measures to combat rising cyber offenses, requiring social media and internet messaging services to comply with Malaysian laws focused on combating scams, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes.

This regulatory pressure comes as TikTok shifts toward AI-based content moderation. The platform laid off approximately 500 content moderators in Malaysia in October 2024 as part of a global restructuring. Despite these changes, TikTok reports that 80% of content violating its guidelines is now removed by automated technologies.

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