The new licensing framework on social media platforms ensures that all involved platforms shoulder clearer responsibilities for user safety, particularly in protecting children and families.. – AI Image
KUALA LUMPUR: The MADANI Government is committed to building a safer, more ethical and responsible cyberspace to ensure the well-being of the people.
The latest move by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to introduce an automatic licensing framework for social media platform providers with more than eight million users, effective 1 January 2026, is much-welcomed move.
Under the new licensing framework, major social media platform providers will be subject to the Class Licence for Application Service Providers [ASP(C)] under Section 46A of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Deeming Provision).
The initiative aims to ensure that social media platform providers offering services to users in Malaysia operate within the country’s legal and regulatory framework in an orderly, consistent and effective manner.
At the same time, it ensures that all involved platforms shoulder clearer responsibilities for user safety, particularly in protecting children and families.
This approach has the potential to protect children from online harms such as cyberbullying, financial fraud, child exploitation and the spread of harmful content.
Siraj Jalil
Malaysian Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) president, Siraj Jalil, when contacted, said the step introduced by MCMC should be viewed as a sign of the nation’s maturity in managing the power of digital platforms in the country.
He said it is not intended to restrict freedom of expression or stifle technological innovation.
“We must acknowledge that today’s communications landscape has changed completely, and digital platforms are no longer merely channels for social interaction, but have become spaces that shape thinking, emotions and values, particularly among children and adolescents.
“When a platform has millions of users in Malaysia, it directly shapes the country’s social reality, and such power cannot operate without clear responsibility.
“The implementation of the Deeming Provision under Section 46A of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 does not forcibly create a new licence, but rather recognises the existing operational reality of these global platforms,” he said.
He added that the government is only setting one basic principle: if they operate and benefit from Malaysian users, then they must also comply with Malaysia’s legal framework and sovereignty.
He added that Malaysia is not choosing the path of restrictions, excessive censorship or internet fragmentation, but instead is building a licensing framework aligned with international practices in the European Union, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Siraj said the success of this policy does not depend solely on legal text or enforcement powers, but on the shared commitment of all parties.
“Platform providers need to be more transparent and responsible, while the government must implement policies fairly and consistently.
“And most importantly, society needs to understand that digital safety is a shared issue, not merely a technical one.
“MCMC views this Deeming Provision as an opportunity to build a safer, more ethical and more humane digital ecosystem.
“Platforms can continue to grow, innovation can continue, but user safety, especially that of children and families, must be a red line that cannot be compromised,” he said.
Syed Agil Alsagoff
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) senior lecturer in communication, Syed Agil Alsagoff, said MCMC’s new approach is seen as an effort to align the existing legal framework with the reality of global digital platforms that are increasingly influential in daily life.
As such, calls for large-scale platforms to bear clearer responsibility for user safety, particularly for children and families, are considered reasonable.
“Social media is no longer merely a medium for personal communication or entertainment.
“Platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have evolved into digital public spaces that influence the dissemination of information, opinion formation and social interaction,” he said.
He said it should be emphasised that ASP(C) licensing does not target individual users and does not introduce prior content censorship.
Instead, users remain free to share views and information without the need for prior approval.
“However, indirect effects do exist because content moderation decisions are made by platforms that are now subject to legal compliance requirements,” he explained.
Overall, Syed Agil said social media licensing reflects efforts to strengthen the accountability of digital platforms in Malaysia.
“Its effectiveness depends on transparent, fair and proportionate implementation so that user safety can be enhanced without undermining freedom of expression in the digital space,” he said.
Dr Nur Izura Udzir
Commenting on the same matter, cybersecurity expert from the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Associate Professor Dr Nur Izura Udzir, said the new provisions set by MCMC allow regulation to be implemented more clearly and facilitate management and monitoring from a governance perspective.
However, she said it should be remembered that this registration does not automatically make social media platforms or the use of internet services safe.
“This registration is more for regulatory and governance purposes and to facilitate processes, but safety still depends on many other factors.
“At the very least, when these social media platforms are considered registered and subject to Malaysian law, they must comply with the terms and regulations set.
“In fact, this can indirectly reduce various risks to children and enhance the safety of children and families in this country,” she stressed.
In the future, she said these platforms will become more accountable for activities on their respective platforms, including content that is shared, sent, uploaded and so on.
She also expressed hope that the new provisions will help shape a safer cyberspace ecosystem for children, particularly through regulation of harmful content.
“More importantly, children themselves need to be educated in digital literacy, cyber hygiene and digital citizenship so that they do not become victims or perpetrators in cyberspace,” she said.
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