PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet today decided to proceed with the implementation of the regulatory framework or licensing for social media and Internet messaging services, which comes into effect Jan 1 next year.
Minister of Communications Fahmi Fadzil said the matter was agreed upon by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Cabinet members.
“The date of Jan 1, 2025, for the licensing of social media and Internet messaging systems to take effect will remain. There will be no shift or change in the date,“ he said at a press conference here today.
He said that two forms of services that would be licensed were social media and Internet messaging systems and it did not involve any applications.
On Aug 26, the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), representing major internet and technology companies, urged the government to halt and carefully reconsider the licensing plan for social media platforms.
The AIC, which includes Google, Meta, Amazon, and Grab, sent a letter of protest dated Aug 23 to the Prime Minister.
The framework to license social media and Internet messaging services was approved by the Cabinet on March 8.
On July 27, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced that all social media and Internet messaging services with at least eight million registered users in Malaysia must apply for a Class Licence under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588) starting Jan 1 next year.
Failure to obtain a licence after the effective date is an offence, and legal action may be taken under Act 588.
