Malaysia asks X to apply for social media license despite not meeting user threshold

New Delhi: The Malaysian government has asked Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) to apply for the country’s social media license despite failing to meet the mandate of the 8 million user threshold. 

As a “gesture of goodwill,” Malaysia’s MP Yuneswaran Ramaraj, in a statement, urged Musk to apply for the license “in any case.” 

The Malaysian government introduced a licensing framework which came into force on January 1, 2025. Devised under the purview of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the framework aims to enhance online safety. User protection, and regulatory oversight for internet messaging service and social media service providers. 

Recently, the regulatory body, in a statement, announced that it granted licenses to WeChat, a messaging platform by Tencent, and TikTok, owned by ByteDance, to operate in the country. 

The MCMC solicited applications from various service providers, including Meta and Alphabet, before December 31, 2024. 

In a recent development pertaining to the matter, Segamat’s MP, Yuneswaran, congratulated the platforms - WeChat, Meta, TikTok, and Telegram - for the "establishment of the Social Media Licensing Framework.” 

He further said, “I do note that X (formerly Twitter) said that it has not met the threshold of 8 million users that would qualify it for a license application. Perhaps it could be a gesture of goodwill for them to consider applying in any case.” 

The Malaysian MP also requested Google, parenting YouTube, “to engage constructively with MCMC to resolve any outstanding issues and to comply with the licensing framework. 

While X and Google are yet to submit their applications for the Malaysian licensing framework, Meta, which oversees Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, has initiated the process of obtaining the license to operate in the country, the regulatory body said in a statement.

As per MCMC, the licensing framework will foster a “trusted and safe online environment” by putting the onus of protecting users. Especially children and vulnerable groups, on the service providers. “Malaysians will benefit from improved safety, better user experiences, and enhanced protection against harmful content,” MCMC said.