A Malaysian minister has asserted that major
tech companies
like
Google
, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) must comply with the country's laws to continue their operations there. He said that the government is willing to engage in discussions with industry groups regarding the proposed regulations that mandate social media companies to obtain a licence to operate in
Malaysia
.
The comments came soon after the Asia Internet Coalition â that represents a bunch of tech companies â highlighted a lack of clarity over the proposed regulations in an open letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
âBig tech companies are big but our laws are bigger. If they want to operate in Malaysia, they must respect and comply with our laws,â Malaysia's communications minister Fahmi Fadzil told reporters, as per news agency Reuters.
He said that the earlier talks with representatives of social media firms on the plan had been positive.
Malaysia is taking a strong stance against cybercrimes, including scams, cyberbullying, and child pornography, by seeking commitment from social media platforms to actively combat harmful content. This measure is aimed at curbing the spread of harmful content and holding platforms accountable for maintaining a safe online environment.
To enforce this, the government plans to introduce a mandatory licensing requirement for social media services operating in the country. Under the plan, social media platforms and messaging services with more than eight million users would be required to obtain a licence and could face legal action if they failed to do so by January 1, 2025.
In a statement, Malaysia's communications regulator said it will conduct an inquiry and is seeking feedback on the regulation from industry players and the public.
The comments came soon after the Asia Internet Coalition â that represents a bunch of tech companies â highlighted a lack of clarity over the proposed regulations in an open letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
âBig tech companies are big but our laws are bigger. If they want to operate in Malaysia, they must respect and comply with our laws,â Malaysia's communications minister Fahmi Fadzil told reporters, as per news agency Reuters.
He said that the earlier talks with representatives of social media firms on the plan had been positive.
What Malaysian government wants
Malaysia is taking a strong stance against cybercrimes, including scams, cyberbullying, and child pornography, by seeking commitment from social media platforms to actively combat harmful content. This measure is aimed at curbing the spread of harmful content and holding platforms accountable for maintaining a safe online environment.
To enforce this, the government plans to introduce a mandatory licensing requirement for social media services operating in the country. Under the plan, social media platforms and messaging services with more than eight million users would be required to obtain a licence and could face legal action if they failed to do so by January 1, 2025.
In a statement, Malaysia's communications regulator said it will conduct an inquiry and is seeking feedback on the regulation from industry players and the public.
