Malaysia will require social media services with more than 8 million users in the country to apply for a license starting August 1, in an effort to combat rising cyber offenses, the government announced.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) stated on Saturday that this licensing requirement aligns with the cabinet’s decision to ensure social media and internet messaging services comply with Malaysian laws aimed at tackling scams, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes.
The MCMC warned that social media services failing to apply for a license by January 1, 2025, will face legal action. Last week, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil mentioned that the regulator had directed social media companies to address the government’s concerns about cybercrime and harmful content on their platforms.
Earlier this year, Malaysia reported a significant increase in harmful social media content and urged platforms, including Facebook parent Meta and short video platform TikTok, to enhance monitoring efforts. Currently, the communications regulator can flag content that violates local laws to social media companies, but the decision to remove such content remains with the platforms.
