In the latest events, Malaysia’s communication regulator mentioned that it had approved Tencent’s WeChat and ByteDance’s TikTok licences under the new law. According to the Malaysian Authorities, the new law is poised to curb the increasing cybercrime and get a strong grip on crimes like online gambling, scams, child pornography and more. The authorities made it mandatory for social media platforms with more than 8 million users to obtain a license or face legal action.
Companies In Line
According to Reuters, Telegram’s messaging platform was in the final phase of getting the license. In contrast, Meta platforms like Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp have initiated the licensing process under the new law. However, X is being scrutinised for its claim of having less than 8 million local users.
The regulator stated that Alphabet’s Google, which runs the video platform YouTube, had also not applied for a license due to concerns about YouTube’s video-sharing features and their classification under the licensing law. However, the regulator did not specify the nature of these concerns or their connection to the law, emphasising that YouTube must comply.
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The Malaysian Regulator mentioned, “Platform providers found to violate licensing requirements may be subject to investigation and regulatory actions.”
Platform Wise Distribution Of Users
According to the independent data provider World Population Review, WeChat boasts 12 million users in Malaysia. Advisory firm Kepios reported that as of early 2024, YouTube had approximately 24.1 million users nationwide, TikTok had 28.68 million users aged 18 and above, Facebook counted 22.35 million, and X had 5.71 million users.
