Explain removal of posts, Meta told

PETALING JAYA: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has demanded a detailed explanation and a public apology from Meta Platforms Inc over the deletion of several pro-Palestinian posts made by the Prime Minister’s official accounts.

The demand was made following a meeting between Meta and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil yesterday.

In a statement yesterday, the PMO’s media and strategic communications division said the meeting was also attended by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din.

“During the meeting, the PMO expressed its deep dismay at Meta’s action in removing the Prime Minister’s posts expressing condolences and paying tribute to the late Ismail Haniyeh (Hamas’ political bureau chief), who was recently assassinated.

“Additionally, the PMO is dismayed by the suspension of the live broadcast on Facebook via the Berita RTM account, which was streaming the Palestinian Liberation Rally on Sunday night.

“The PMO views Meta’s actions as discriminatory, unjust and a blatant suppression of free expression. It is also seen as an affront to the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people in their pursuit of justice and human rights,” it said.

It added that the decision to censor content without taking into account the context of the post raised “questions about the transparency of Meta’s content moderation policies”.

“As a result, the PMO has demanded several actions, including a detailed explanation of Meta’s decisions to rectify the matter, along with a public apology from the company.

“As promised during the meeting, Meta will be issuing a press statement shortly,” it said.

It was reported previously that posts on the Prime Minister’s Instagram account on July 31 condemning Haniyeh’s assassination and sharing photos of his meeting with the Hamas leader had been removed from the social media platform.

The removal of the posts was accompanied by the caption, “Dangerous individuals and organisations”.

The Prime Minister’s Office strongly criticised Meta’s actions, while Anwar on Aug 1 urged Meta to cease acting as instruments of the Zionist Israeli regime.