EXPERTS HAIL MALAYSIA’S MOVE TO REGISTER MAJOR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS FOR GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY

By Nur Adlina Huda Zulkhairi

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 (Bernama) -- Media and communication experts have hailed Malaysia's decision to classify major social media and messaging platforms, with eight million or more users, as Application Service Provider Class licensees from Jan 1, 2026.

They say that this move is a critical step toward strengthening platform accountability and enhancing user protection, particularly for children and families.

Political and social media analyst at the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam, Prof Dr Sara Chinnasamy, said this classification places a clear legal responsibility on major digital platforms to comply with Malaysia's regulatory framework, while also reinforcing user safeguards.

She pointed out that despite significant annual investments in online safety initiatives by governments, platforms, and NGOs, many programmes lack systematic evaluation, resulting in limited evidence of their actual effectiveness in driving meaningful behavioural change.

“Parents must be educated about potential risks, encouraged to promote responsible online behaviour and empowered to make informed choices about privacy settings. Platform providers also have a crucial role to implement safety features, monitor harmful content, and offer clear reporting mechanisms,” she told Bernama.

Sara added that structured evaluation frameworks must support these safety campaigns to measure their actual impact.

“Evaluation timelines vary depending on the theory of change and indicators used. Some indicators require longer periods to assess, and timing between intervention and evaluation must be carefully planned to capture lasting behaviour change,” she said.

Meanwhile, senior lecturer at the Media and Communication Research Centre, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Dr Mohd Azul Mohamad Salleh, explained that the regulatory move aligns with international practices, citing Australia's leading framework for child online protection as a benchmark.

"Australia has strengthened child protection by becoming the first country to enforce a comprehensive social media ban for children under 16, starting December 2025, which will require platforms to block their access," he said.

He said that while concerns have been raised about the possibility of global platforms ceasing operations, proactive regulation remains necessary to mitigate wider societal risks.

“If these platforms choose not to comply and are blocked from operating, the country would face severe repercussions that would negatively impact the economy, education and small businesses that rely on social media,” he said.

However, he emphasised that such proactive measures are required to hold platform operators responsible for user safety and to safeguard data privacy, which helps prevent cybercrimes such as online fraud.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) recently announced that internet messaging and social media service providers with eight million or more users will be deemed registered as ASP Class licensees effective Jan 1, 2026.

This move will be implemented through a dispensation of registration formalities under Section 46A of the Communications and Multimedia (Amendment) Act 2025, aligning it with the licensing framework enforced from Jan 1 next year to strengthen compliance and accountability.

Known as the Deeming Provision, this mechanism applies to service providers including WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, aiming to ensure these large-scale platforms operate in a more consistent and effective manner within Malaysia’s legal and regulatory framework. 

-- BERNAMA