FIA secures direct access to Meta channel for faster cybercrime probes

Investigators will now be able to seek information from Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp through a dedicated system after Meta Asia Pacific formally recognised the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) contact point at the National Command and Control Centre (NC3), Dawn reported. 

The arrangement is expected to shorten the processing of lawful requests from several months to a matter of days, replacing the FIA’s earlier reliance on Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties and Interpol channels.

The direct link will be used in cases involving organised cybercrime, online fraud, hate speech and other offences requiring information or action from Meta’s platforms.

Under the new mechanism, all requests will be processed through the FIA’s Single Point of Contact at NC3.

These may include preservation requests, basic subscriber information, account registration details, login IP histories, content removal requests and emergency disclosure requests.

The Investigating Officer handling a case will compile the required legal documents and provide the relevant Meta account identifiers.

The request will then be examined by the Circle In-charge before being forwarded to the FIA’s designated contact at NC3 for submission to Meta Asia Pacific.

“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”.