KUALA LUMPUR – The Communications Ministry is evaluating the possibility of adjusting the user threshold required for social media platforms to be registered as Application Service Provider Class (ASP(C)) licence holders in Malaysia.
As of January 1, Internet messaging and social media service providers with a user base of eight million or more in Malaysia are automatically considered registered ASP(C) licence holders, following the implementation of the Deeming Provision under Section 46A of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, Bernama reported.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil explained that the move follows recent issues surrounding the AI tool “Grok,” which had generated inappropriate and obscene content involving women and children, breaching the law.
“We are in the process of evaluating this because, while platforms like TikTok and Facebook are highly popular in Malaysia, X (formerly known as Twitter) has a relatively smaller user base. However, given the issues raised by Grok, both the Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) find it necessary to review the user threshold,” Fahmi said.
The Minister has tasked the MCMC with assessing the appropriate user limit and the potential actions required.
“I leave it to the MCMC to determine what limit is appropriate and what actions need to be taken,” he added, speaking to the media after the Lembah Pantai Level Early Schooling Assistance Handover Ceremony at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Bandaraya today.
On December 15, the MCMC clarified that the user threshold was introduced to ensure that large-scale service providers offering Internet messaging and social media services to Malaysian users operate within the country’s legal and regulatory framework in a consistent and effective manner.
While platforms such as TikTok and Facebook have exceeded the threshold, X reported that it had not yet reached eight million users in Malaysia.
In response to the misuse of Grok to produce explicit content, the MCMC ordered a temporary restriction on access to the tool in Malaysia on January 11, effective immediately.
Fahmi also revealed that the government is exploring the implementation of age verification mechanisms for social media users. This would involve official government-issued identification, such as MyKad, passport, and MyDigital ID.
“We are considering the Electronic Know Your Customer (EKYC) identity verification mechanism. We’ve seen that other countries have successfully implemented age restrictions, but Malaysia’s approach will be distinct, given the unique features of our system,” he noted.
“With tools like MyKad at our disposal, which many other countries lack, we are tailoring this to suit Malaysia’s specific needs,” he added. – January 15, 2026