KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Meta platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, along with Google's YouTube have yet to be licenced in Malaysia, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said.
In a written parliamentary reply to Sri Gading MP Aminolhuda Hassan, he said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is still in discussions with these social media platforms to resolve implementation and enforcement issues.
“X (formerly Twitter) has informed authorities that its user base in Malaysia does not reach the eight million user threshold required for mandatory licensing,” he said in the reply.
However, MCMC is conducting a study on user numbers across platforms under the licensing framework and will examine whether X needs to be registered as an Application Service Provider Class (ASP(C) license holder.
Three social media platforms have successfully obtained ASP(C) licenses under Malaysia's new framework as of July 1: WeChat International Private Limited, TikTok Private Limited, and Telegram Messenger Incorporated.
The MCMC implemented the licensing requirement on January 1, targeting internet messaging and social media service providers that meet specific criteria under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
The licensing framework aims to create a safer online ecosystem, particularly for children and families.
