Social media bosses can face action under new law, says govt

2026-03-02 - 05:14

A backbencher had asked whether the government would take legal action against social media platform owners like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk if their platforms break Malaysian laws. (AFP pics) KUALA LUMPUR: The government says it can take legal action against the top figures behind major social media platforms even if they are based outside the country, thanks to a new online safety law which took effect on Jan 1. Deputy communications minister Teo Nie Ching said under the law, any messaging or social media service with eight million or more users in the country would be deemed registered with the government. “This is to ensure that all messaging and social media services offered to users in Malaysia operate in line with our laws and rules,” she told the Dewan Rakyat. Teo said licensed platforms were required to comply with terms and instructions given by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, and that failure to obey could lead to legal action. “If a company commits an offence, the director, chief executive, manager, or any other person in control of the company’s affairs can be charged,” she said. The deputy minister said these figures could avoid liability if they could prove that the offence was not committed with their knowledge or consent, and that they had taken reasonable steps to prevent it. Teo also said that platforms must name a local representative in Malaysia to receive legal papers. “They must appoint a local representative, either an individual or a company in Malaysia, to accept service for any legal action,” she said. She said five platforms have complied with this: Meta, WhatsApp, Google, Telegram and TikTok. She was responding to Suhaizan Kaiat (PH-Pulai), who had asked whether the government would take legal action against social media platform owners like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk if their platforms break Malaysian laws, despite operating overseas.