PETALING JAYA: Tencent (WeChat) and ByteDance (TikTok) have successfully obtained licences to operate in Malaysia under newly-introduced licensing requirements for internet messaging service and social media service providers.
On July 27, 2024, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said all social media and messaging services with at least eight million registered users in Malaysia are required to have the licence from Jan 1, 2025.
In a statement today, MCMC said WeChat was the first to be granted the Class Licence for Application Service Providers (CASP), followed by TikTok.
MCMC said Telegram and Meta – which oversees Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – have initiated the process of obtaining the licence, which is expected to be completed soon.
Both X (formerly known as Twitter) and Google, which operates YouTube, have yet to submit their applications to MCMC.
“MCMC will assess the status of platform providers that have yet to obtain the required licences and consider the appropriate actions under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998,” the statement read.
“Platform providers found to have violated the licensing requirements may be subject to investigation and regulatory actions.”
MCMC said that according to X, its user base in Malaysia has not reached the required threshold of eight million users.
MCMC said it is actively reviewing the validity of X’s user base and will continue engagement sessions to assess X’s position.
Google raised issues about YouTube’s video sharing features and its classification under the licensing framework.
MCMC said it has deliberated on the issues and will ensure that YouTube and other platform providers adhere to the licensing framework which is now in force.
The regulator said the licensing requirements underscore the government’s commitment to strengthening online safety, enhancing user protection, particularly for children and vulnerable groups, while improving regulatory oversight for service providers operating in Malaysia.
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