Malaysia tightens grip on major social media platforms – will it make the internet safer?
The decision to deem major platforms licensed regardless of application closes a regulatory gap, but questions remain over enforcement
From January 1, platforms with more than eight million users in Malaysia are automatically treated as licensed under local law, even if they had not applied, according to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The shift coincides with the Online Safety Act (ONSA) 2025 coming into force, expanding regulators’ powers to hold platforms accountable for harmful content, online scams and risks to children.
Because ONSA’s new safety duties apply only to licensed service providers, deeming large platforms licensed closes a loophole that had allowed companies to operate at scale while remaining outside the law’s reach, analysts said, though they are divided over whether the move will translate into meaningful changes in platform behaviour.
“The deeming of the platforms as licensees is a bold move by MCMC in operationalising ONSA,” Harris Zainul, director of research at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia, told This Week in Asia. “The way I see it, platforms have shown their hand throughout the past year by not registering for a licence.”