KUALA LUMPUR – All major social media platforms offering services in the country will be required to hold a licence soon, said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) following a spate of online scams, cyberbullying cases, and other offences.
In a statement, the regulator’s Corporate Communications Department said this was part of its bid to introduce a safer internet regulatory framework for children and families on August 1, which will come to force on January 1 of next year.
This new framework will be in line with the government’s decision to combat the rising trend of cybercrime offences that include online fraud, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes against children.
It said under this new framework, all social media outlets and internet messaging services with at least eight million registered users in Malaysia must apply for a Class License for Application Service Providers under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588).
“Failure to obtain a licence after the effective date would be an offence, and appropriate legal action can be taken under Act 588.
“Previously, these services were exempted from licensing requirements based on the Communications and Multimedia (Licensing) (Exemption) Order 2000.
“(However), this new regulatory framework only applies to services that meet the licensing eligibility criteria and does not involve its users.
“This measure will create a safer online ecosystem and a better user experience, especially for children and families,” said the statement.
On July 24, the MCMC said it recorded a total of 9,483 reports of cyberbullying from 2022 to this month, while 9,321 complaints were received regarding online scams within the same time frame.
Meanwhile, the number of reports on exploitative child sexual content online stands at 143, with the commission recording 51 cases in 2022, 75 complaints in 2023 and 17 for 2024 as of this month. – July 27, 2024