{
  "id": 11600338,
  "title": "Meta admits technical glitch affected some WhatsApp accounts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/meta-admits-technical-glitch-affected-some-whatsapp-accounts-11600338",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-03T03:21:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/10/03/meta-admits-technical-glitch-affected-some-whatsapp-accounts"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has revealed that Meta admitted a technical error in its system led to some WhatsApp accounts being suspended. According to Meta, the issue was resolved by the end of September, and the affected legitimate accounts have been restored. However, this came as a response to 92 complaints filed by MCMC related to suspended, inaccessible, or unauthorized accessed WhatsApp accounts. Meta clarified that the technical glitch wrongly identified legitimate user activity as a violation of their rules. They explained that the suspensions often involved recycled phone numbers linked to blocked accounts, spam or scam activity, and suspicious usage patterns detected by their security systems. Meta also mentioned that user reports played a role in account suspensions but were not the sole basis. Business users were advised to obtain consent before sending bulk messages to prevent detection as spam. MCMC called for Meta to improve its appeal and restoration processes, providing better confirmation, updates, and clearer information about the actions taken. They warned that further regulatory measures would be considered if Meta's actions were deemed inadequate.",
  "summary": "The tech company says the error resulted in legitimate user activity being flagged as rule violations, according to MCMC.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Bernama",
        "title": "General : Meta Admits Technical Error Affected Some WhatsApp Accounts - MCMC",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/general-meta-admits-technical-error-affected-some-whatsapp-accounts",
        "published": "2026-10-03T02:22:40.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Meta akui kesilapan teknikal antara punca akaun WhatsApp pengguna sah digantung",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/meta-akui-kesilapan-teknikal-antara-punca-akaun-whatsapp-pengguna-sah",
        "published": "2026-10-03T03:04:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "MCMC: Meta confirms technical error wrongfully suspended WhatsApp accounts in Malaysia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/mcmc-meta-confirms-technical-error-wrongfully-suspended-whatsapp",
        "published": "2026-10-03T03:52:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}