Kuala Lumpur: The social media giant Meta is in the final stages of securing an Application Service Provider (ASP) Class Licence in Malaysia, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is in the process of completing documentation to fulfil specific legal requirements as part of the licensing process.
“Meta is in the final process of submitting certain documents,” he said.
Speaking as a panellist on the RTM’s On The Table programme, with the topic ‘Social Media Licensing in Malaysia: Key Insights & Impact’, Fahmi disclosed that other platform providers such as Google and X (formerly Twitter) are currently undergoing evaluations to assess their compliance status.
He said that while Google has argued that it is not a social media platform, the ministry maintains that certain parts of its YouTube platform, such as YouTube Shorts, function like social media, similar to TikTok.
“While X has claimed to have less than eight million users in Malaysia, which exempts it from the licensing requirement... we are currently assessing these claims and continuing our engagements to ensure all platforms comply with the guidelines,” Fahmi said.
The Communications Minister also revealed ongoing discussions with Microsoft, the owner of LinkedIn, following reports indicating the platform’s Malaysian user base could exceed eight million in the first quarter of 2025.
“We’ve reached out to Microsoft because LinkedIn estimates their user base will surpass the threshold. Additionally, we’ve received complaints about job scams on LinkedIn, and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is actively engaging with them to address these concerns,” he said.
Fahmi also emphasised the government’s commitment to enforcing licensing for platforms that exceed the regulatory user threshold, while balancing regulation with freedom of expression and ensuring online safety.
“This issue is not about freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by our Federal Constitution. This is about online safety. It’s about making sure that while we have faster, cheaper mobile-accessible internet, we also want safer internet, especially for children and families,” he said.
He added that people are still free to express themselves, but they must be mindful not to incite violence or show disrespect to the Malay rulers.
“However, when it comes to children, particularly, we must draw a line. The most worrying thing that I encountered in my discussions was child sexual abuse material,” he said.
