SOCIAL media and online messaging platforms with at least eight million users in Malaysia must apply for a licence from the government starting 1 August, said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

In a statement, the MCMC said this was part of a new regulatory framework to ensure a safer online ecosystem.

“The licence requirement will be enforced from 1 January 2025, and it would be an offence not to have a licence after this date.

“Appropriate legal action can be taken under the Communications and Multimedia Act,” it said, adding that this requirement was in line with the cabinet’s decision requiring social media and online messaging platforms to comply with Malaysian laws and combat cybercrime.

This includes scams and online fraud, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes against children.

“Previously, these services were exempt from licensing requirements based on the Communications and Multimedia (Licensing) (Exemption) Order 2000.

“This new regulatory framework only applies to services that meet the licensing eligibility criteria and does not involve its users,” read the statement.

In March, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said MCMC was finalising a framework for licensing all social media platform service providers operating in the country.

She said this was due to the availability of harmful content on social media platforms and online messaging services.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil recently said that enforcement authorities will collaborate and take immediate action against cybercrimes committed on social media platforms.

He said this was necessary due to the huge losses suffered from online scams, including the abuse of social media platforms by cyberbullies and paedophiles.

He said the cabinet decided that the police, the MCMC, and the Attorney-General’s Chambers work together.

For the first six months of the year, he said losses from online scams where criminals used Facebook to cheat Malaysians of their savings were estimated to be between RM8 million and RM132 million. – July 27, 2024.