ISLAMABAD – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has established a direct official communication channel with Meta Asia Pacific (APAC) to accelerate investigations into organised cybercrime, online fraud, hate speech, and other digital offences.
The arrangement enables secure and lawful coordination between the FIA and Meta for requests involving Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, according to officials.
Under the new mechanism, Meta has formally recognised the FIA’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) at the agency’s National Command and Control Centre (NC3). All official requests related to Meta platforms will now be processed exclusively through this designated channel.
Faster Response Times Expected
Previously, requests submitted by the FIA had to be processed through Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) or Interpol, a procedure officials said could take several months. With the new communication channel in place, authorities expect response times to be reduced from months to only a few days, allowing investigators to obtain digital evidence more quickly.
Types of Requests Covered
The new framework allows the FIA to submit a range of lawful requests to Meta during investigations.
These include:
- Preservation requests
- Basic subscriber information
- Account registration details
- Login IP history
- Content removal requests
- Emergency disclosure requests
- Officials said every request must be supported by the required legal documentation before being submitted.
How the New Process Works
According to the FIA, investigating officers will first prepare a case file containing all relevant legal documents and Meta account identifiers. The case will then be reviewed and approved by the Circle In-charge before being forwarded to the FIA’s Single Point of Contact at NC3.
The SPOC will submit the request directly to Meta APAC through the newly established official communication channel. Authorities said routing every request through a single authorised office will improve accountability, maintain a clear audit trail, and ensure faster processing.
FIA Says System Will Strengthen Time-Sensitive Investigations
FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar said the direct communication mechanism would significantly enhance the agency’s ability to respond to urgent investigations. He noted that the arrangement would be particularly valuable in cases involving terrorism, child exploitation, organised cybercrime, online fraud, and other time-sensitive digital investigations.
The new framework provides the FIA with a faster and more structured process for handling Meta-related requests while ensuring that all communications remain legally documented and centrally managed.
Key Points:
- FIA has established a direct communication channel with Meta Asia Pacific (APAC).
- The new system is expected to reduce response times from months to just days.
- All official requests will be routed through the FIA’s National Command and Control Centre (NC3).
- The arrangement covers Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp investigations.
- Lawful requests include account information, login history, preservation requests, content removal, and emergency disclosures.
- The FIA says the system will improve responses in terrorism, child exploitation, and organised cybercrime cases.
