Eight Social Media Giants To Obtain Licences Under New Malaysian Law

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The Malaysian government has announced that eight major social media and messaging platforms will need to obtain a licence under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 by next year.

These platforms include Meta’s WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), Google’s YouTube, Pavel Durov’s Telegram, Tencent’s WeChat, and ByteDance’s TikTok. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil revealed this in an exclusive interview with NST.

He explained that these platforms meet the threshold of at least eight million users in Malaysia. He emphasised that they are not being specifically targeted by the government.

Some platforms have raised concerns, claiming that the new requirements could stifle innovation or present challenges in establishing a local office. However, Fahmi expressed confidence that the profitability of these platforms in Malaysia would encourage them to comply with local laws.

He cited Meta as an example, pointing out that the company generates RM2.5 billion annually from Malaysian advertising revenue. He also noted that Malaysians had lost over RM400 million to scams on Facebook, which represented 90% of the gambling and fraud content that the government had ordered to be removed.

Fahmi challenged platform providers, asking, “What makes you (platform providers) so extraordinary or special that you can make money from us, but our laws don’t apply to you?”

He stressed that the licensing requirement was not aimed at stifling free speech or innovation. Using the automotive industry as an example, he explained that licensure does not hinder market innovation.

Fahmi added that many platforms were open to complying with the new requirements. He mentioned positive discussions with Telegram, Google, and Meta and reiterated that the government’s goal is to make the internet safer for Malaysian families.