Malaysia Grants Licences to WeChat and TikTok Under New Social Media Law

Malaysia’s communications regulator has granted licences to WeChat and TikTok to operate under the country’s new social media law, which aims to combat rising cybercrime. The law, which took effect on January 1, mandates that social media platforms and messaging services with more than 8 million users in Malaysia must obtain a licence, or face legal action.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced on Wednesday that Tencent’s WeChat and ByteDance’s TikTok have been granted their licences. Messaging platform Telegram is in the final stages of the application process, while Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has begun the licensing procedure.

However, some platforms have not applied for the licence. X (formerly Twitter) has not submitted an application, stating that its local user base does not exceed the 8 million threshold. The regulator is currently reviewing the validity of this claim. Additionally, Alphabet’s Google, which operates YouTube, has not applied for a licence either, citing concerns about YouTube’s video-sharing features and how they relate to the new law. The MCMC has indicated that YouTube must still comply with the licensing requirements.

The law requires platforms to adhere to guidelines to curb harmful content, including online gambling, scams, child pornography, cyberbullying, and offensive content related to race, religion, and royalty. Malaysia has seen an uptick in harmful social media content in early 2024, prompting authorities to urge platforms like Meta and TikTok to enhance their monitoring efforts.

While companies do not disclose their user numbers per country, independent data suggests WeChat has 12 million users in Malaysia, while TikTok has around 28.68 million users aged 18 and above. Facebook has 22.35 million users, YouTube has 24.1 million users, and X has 5.71 million users in the country.