WhatsApp, Not The Government, Is Blocking Malaysian Accounts – And Some Bans Are Final

Malaysian WhatsApp users who were hacked are being banned by the platform itself – not by the government – and in some cases, the ban is permanent with no option to appeal. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is meeting Meta to address the complaints, which have been building since July.

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In Brief

MCMC is meeting Meta on 28 September to address growing complaints about hacked, blocked or inaccessible WhatsApp accounts in Malaysia.
WhatsApp, not MCMC or the government, imposes account blocks, often after compromised accounts are used for scams or spam.
Affected users should use WhatsApp's official "Request review" option and enable Two-Step Verification to protect their accounts.

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The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will meet Meta today (28 September) over complaints about WhatsApp accounts taken over by bad actors.

Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the meeting follows growing public concern, according to Business Today.

MCMC said in a statement on Friday (25 September) it would take further action and refer the case to Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, for clarification and appropriate action.

MCMC said a compromised account and a blocked account are two separate matters.

It explained that accounts taken over by irresponsible parties can be used for scams, spam or activities that violate WhatsApp’s terms of service. The platform may then block those accounts.

These blocks are reportedly imposed by WhatsApp, not by MCMC or the government. MCMC’s role is to investigate complaints and engage with the platform.

Malaysian users have reported sudden WhatsApp bans and forced logouts on social media since at least July, and in early August, Meta told TechCrunch it was restoring accounts that had been wrongly placed under review worldwide.

How To Request A Review

MCMC advised affected users to use WhatsApp’s official channels for recovery or verification.

According to WhatsApp’s Help Center, a blocked user should see a message with a “Request review” option in the app. WhatsApp usually notifies the user of its decision within 24 hours.

The report said each appeal covers one phone number. If the app shows no review option, the ban is final and cannot be appealed.

It was also reported that third-party services cannot remove bans. Only WhatsApp can review and restore an account.

Users can lodge a complaint with MCMC if official channels fail. MCMC said it will take further action and refer the case to Meta.

MCMC also asked the public to: