TWO more social media service providers have taken steps towards regulatory compliance by applying for licences to operate in the country, according to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
In a statement on Wednesday (Jan 1), MCMC said Tencent, which operates WeChat, became the first service provider to receive the Applications Service Providers Class [ASP(C)] licence.
"After WeChat, ByteDance (TikTok) has successfully acquired their licence," it said in the statement.
MCMC said Telegram is in the final stages of the licensing process and will soon receive its licence.
However, MCMC said X (formerly Twitter) and Google, the operator of YouTube, had yet to submit their applications.
X cited its user base, which is below the eight million threshold requirement, as the reason for the delay, a claim currently under review, the commission said.
"For Google, questions surrounding YouTube's video-sharing features and their classification under the Licensing Framework remain under discussion," it said.
MCMC said it has deliberated on the issues raised and shall ensure that YouTube as well as all relevant platform providers meeting the licensing criteria are bound by their duties and responsibilities to adhere to the licensing framework which is now in force.
Additionally, MCMC will assess the status of platform providers that have yet to obtain the required licences and consider the appropriate actions under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
It said platform providers found to violate licensing requirements may be subject to investigation and regulatory action. - January 1, 2025
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