Meta Says Technical Error Wrongly Suspended Malaysian WhatsApp Accounts

Meta disclosed that a technical mistake in its systems erroneously flagged genuine local WhatsApp user behavior as violations, impacting over half of the cases in the initial batch submitted to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The company resolved the issue by late September, with affected accounts being promptly reactivated.

In a recent statement, the regulatory body reported receiving feedback from Meta concerning the issues previously raised by the company regarding WhatsApp account suspensions. Meta confirmed that the incident did not entail any modifications to its enforcement policies or WhatsApp's Terms of Service. Earlier in the week, the MCMC had approached Meta for a thorough explanation in response to complaints about WhatsApp account suspensions.

At that time, the commission sought clarification on the reasons behind the suspensions and the procedures utilized to assess affected accounts. For cases not impacted by the technical error, Meta outlined that WhatsApp account suspensions can stem from various factors. These include reused phone numbers that were once linked to banned accounts, spam or fraudulent actions, and usage patterns identified by WhatsApp’s security mechanisms.

Meta also emphasized that user complaints are just one of the factors taken into account when deciding whether an account should be suspended, rather than the sole basis for disciplinary action. This implies that an account may still be flagged due to other signals recognized by WhatsApp’s security systems. Business accounts might also face suspension if they transmit messages without recipients' permission or in excessive volumes, especially to individuals not in the sender's contact list.

Consequently, Meta recommended business users to obtain consent before sending bulk messages. The MCMC has reached out to Meta to enhance its appeal and account recovery procedures for impacted users. Specifically, the regulator desires users to receive confirmation that their appeals have been filed, updates on the progress of reviews, and more efficient and straightforward actions for account recovery.

The MCMC also advised affected users to utilize WhatsApp’s official appeal and support channels when attempting to regain access to their accounts. The regulator stated that it will persist in monitoring the unresolved cases and whether Meta implements the improvements requested. It further mentioned that additional regulatory action may be contemplated if the company's measures are found to be insufficient.