Malaysia’s communications regulator has granted Tencent’s WeChat and ByteDance’s TikTok licenses to operate under the country’s new social media law, but other platforms remain non-compliant.
Effective January 1, the law aims to combat rising cybercrime by requiring social media platforms and messaging services with over 8 million Malaysian users to obtain a license or face legal consequences.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced on Wednesday that Telegram is nearing completion of its licensing process, while Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has initiated the process.
However, the regulator noted that X has not applied for a license, citing its local user base as below the required 8 million threshold. The MCMC is currently verifying this claim. Similarly, Alphabet’s Google has not applied for a license for YouTube, expressing concerns about how the platform’s video-sharing features are categorized under the law.
“Platform providers found to be in violation of licensing requirements may be subject to investigation and regulatory actions,” the MCMC warned.
In early 2024, Malaysia experienced a surge in harmful online content, prompting authorities to call on platforms like Meta and TikTok to enhance their content monitoring efforts. Harmful content includes online gambling, scams, child exploitation, cyberbullying, and sensitive content related to race, religion, and royalty.
Independent data sources report significant user bases for these platforms in Malaysia. WeChat has 12 million users, YouTube 24.1 million, TikTok 28.68 million (ages 18+), Facebook 22.35 million, and X 5.71 million, according to advisory firm Kepios and World Population Review.
As the law takes effect, Malaysia’s regulatory approach underscores its commitment to addressing cyber threats while ensuring compliance from global tech giants.
