Direct channel between Meta, FIA established to speed up cybercrime investigations

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has established a direct official communication channel with Meta Asia Pacific (APAC), a move the agency says will significantly speed up investigations into organised cybercrime, online fraud and hate speech.

Under the arrangement, Meta has formally recognised the FIA’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) at the National Command and Control Centre (NC3), enabling secure and lawful coordination for data requests relating to Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

According to the FIA, the new mechanism replaces a lengthier process under which requests were routed through Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs), formal agreements that allow countries to cooperate in criminal investigations or through Interpol channels.

Officials said those procedures often took months, while the new system is expected to reduce response times to days.

The agency said all lawful requests to Meta will now be processed exclusively through the NC3.

According to the FIA, the channel will support preservation requests, basic subscriber information, account registration details, login Internet Protocol (IP) history, content removal requests and emergency disclosure requests.

The agency said that the procedure requires the Investigating Officer to compile the case file with all necessary legal documents and the relevant Meta account identifiers.

After scrutiny and approval by the Circle In-charge, the request will be forwarded to the FIA’s designated SPOC at the NC3, which will submit it to Meta APAC through the official communication channel.

“All requests will be routed through a single, designated channel to ensure accountability, audit trail and speed,” an FIA official said.

FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar said the arrangement would “significantly enhance our capacity to respond to time-sensitive cases involving terrorism and child exploitation”.

According to the agency, the system is intended to improve the efficiency of lawful data requests while maintaining an auditable process for coordination between the FIA and the technology company.