Malaysia will mandate that social media services with more than 8 million users must obtain a license starting August 1 to combat rising cyber threats, the government announced. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission revealed this in a Saturday statement, aligning with cabinet measures to enforce laws against scams, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes.

The commission warned that failure to secure a license by January 1, 2025, would result in legal action. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil noted last week that directives had been issued to social media firms to address the rising concerns over cybercrime and harmful content on their platforms.

Earlier this year, Malaysia reported a significant increase in harmful social media content and urged social media firms like Meta and TikTok to enhance monitoring efforts. While the communications regulator can currently flag content violating local laws, the final decision to remove content rests with the platforms.

(With inputs from agencies.)