KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — When the Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced it would require internet messaging services and social media sites to be licensed, Malaysians flooded the internet with objections and trepidations.
A lot of the responses were slightly overblown, mostly due to lack of information and misunderstanding what was reported…or likely some people did not actually read the articles or statements.
What isn’t happening
1. No, the government isn’t shutting down Facebook, or TikTok or X (most of you call it Twitter) on January 1
2. No, you will not need to register for a license to use social media or annoy your friends on WhatsApp/Telegram/WeChat/LINE
3. No, the new law will likely not affect you, the average user with some caveats (which we will get to later)
What is happening
1. Social media websites such as Facebook and X as well as internet messaging services such as Telegram will need to apply for a license to operate in the country but only if they have 8 million users or more.
This means X will likely not need a license as its userbase has not reached the 8 million threshold. Facebook however has nearly 30 million users in the country (according to Statista) so will need to get a license before January 1
2. January 1, 2025 is the cutoff date for these internet-based services to get licensed and failing that, will be considered to be operating illegally
3. This new licence will be considered an Applications Service Provider Class licence under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
4. Ordinary users will not need to apply for a license to use these services/website. Keep sharing cat photos on Facebook or Telegram
5. However, those services once registered, will be held accountable for user interactions on the website that are deemed to break Malaysian law such as statements violating the Sedition Act or Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA).
How are Malaysians reacting in the wake of the news? Well, here are some particularly notable social media posts:
Re: Social media licensing in Malaysia.
Sensible arguments from the learned Bangi MP. This is the kind of explanation we should get from the Comms Minister/Ministry and MCMC. https://t.co/l4LoWkt16r
— Hadi Azmi (@amerhadiazmi) July 29, 2024
I’ll make a theard on my opinion about this situation. I know my account is not political related but this is just ridiculous. MCMC is literally ruining every Malaysian Young Creators dreams. https://t.co/E9IMA8ETpI
— Yusro !! :3 (@JustYusro) July 28, 2024
I’ll be honest, if Twitter shuts down and I risk losing my day job, it might be the last straw for me to leave the country
— ili (@isacchili) July 28, 2024
Some users were confused, thinking they would need to register. — Facebook page screenshot
Guess who studied the regulations and guess who didn’t.
Some users made sure to understand the regulations, while some didn’t. — Facebook screenshot
In conclusion, extra care might be needed to communicate important laws to the public in case things get misconstrued, which as can be seen, can happen rather easily.
