KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 Reuters Facebookowner Meta and China39;s TikTok restricted a record number of social media posts and accounts in Malaysia in the first six months of 2023, data published by the firms showed, amid a jump in government requests to remove content.

Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim39;s administration, which came to power in November 2022 on a reformist platform, has faced accusations of backpedaling on its promises to protect freedom of speech amid increased scrutiny of online content in recent months.

The government has denied allegations of stifling dissent online, saying it wanted to curb provocative posts that touch on race, religion and royalty.

Between January and June this year, Meta restricted about 3,100 pages and posts on its Facebook and Instagram platforms from being viewed by users in Malaysia because they were reported to have allegedly violated local laws, according to data published in the firm39;s twiceyearly Transparency Report this month.

The figure was six times higher than in the previous halfyear period and the highest since the company began reporting content restrictions in Malaysia in 2017.

Meta said between July 2022 and June 2023, it restricted access to more than 3,500 items in response to reports by Malaysia39;s communications regulator and other government agencies.

The content included criticism of the government and posts that allegedly violated laws on illegal gambling, hate speech, racially or religiously…