FIA and Meta Launch Direct Channel to Accelerate Cybercrime Investigations

ISLAMABAD – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has set up a direct, official communication channel with Meta Asia Pacific (APAC) to expedite investigations into organized cybercrime, online fraud, and hate speech.

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

Previously, the federal agency routed requests through Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) or Interpol channels, a process that frequently took months. Officials note that the new mechanism will reduce response time to days, with all lawful requests now processed exclusively through NC3.

These include preservation requests, basic subscriber information, account registration details, login IP history, content removal requests, and emergency disclosure requests. According to the procedure, the investigating officer will compile the case with all required legal documents and relevant Meta account identifiers.

After scrutiny and approval by the Circle In‑charge, the request will be forwarded to the FIA’s official SPOC at NC3, which will submit it to Meta APAC via the established 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 channel would “significantly enhance our capacity to respond to time‑sensitive cases involving terrorism and child exploitation”.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2026

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