KUALA LUMPUR – Social media platforms operating in Malaysia are still bound by the country’s laws, despite not having to be licensed, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
In view of this, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will continue engaging with social media platform providers to ensure compliance with local laws and regulations, set to be enforced from January 1 next year, he added.
MCMC had previously announced that social media platforms and internet messaging services with over eight million users in Malaysia were no longer required to formally apply for an operating licence, but remained fully subject to national laws, including the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and other related legislation.
“I am of the view that all platforms must comply and cooperate to ensure the internet is safe for everyone, especially children and families. This is about responsibility, not merely control.
“There are platforms that are very proactive, but there are also those that ignore complaints or information that we submit,” Fahmi said in an interview with Bernama.
Fahmi further noted the “worrying” increase in online crimes, which include sexual crimes against children, misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies such as deepfakes, and online gambling activities. There are also reports of certain platforms generating revenue from scam advertisements, he said.
Addressing potential resistance from major platforms, including global technology companies, Fahmi said the government could not continue to wait while the number of scam and digital abuse victims continued to increase.
“I still remember that a day before Christmas 2024, a representative of a major platform contacted me and expressed readiness to submit their application, but a year passed without any action. Victims of scams and AI abuse cannot wait,” he said. – December 28, 2025