Four social media companies, including Meta, have applied for a license. X and Google have not yet done so, according to MCMC

KUALA LUMPUR: A report from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) says that four social media and messaging service providers have filed for a license to do business in Malaysia.

Wednesday (Jan. 1), MCMC said that Tencent, which runs WeChat, was the first service provider to get an Applications Service Providers Class (ASP(C)) license.

“After WeChat, ByteDance (TikTok) was able to get their license,” the statement read.

A company called MCMC said that Telegram is almost done with the licensing process and will soon get its license.

It also said that Meta, the company that runs Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, had started the licensing process. X (formerly Twitter) and Google (which runs YouTube) have not yet sent their applications to MCMC.

According to X, the commission said that its user base in Malaysia does not reach the eight million people needed to apply for the license. MCMC said it would check out what X said.

MCMC said that worries have been raised about YouTube’s video-sharing features and how they fit into the licensing system.

The statement indicated that discussions had taken place regarding the issues raised. This would make sure that YouTube and all other platform providers are aware of what they need to do to follow the licensing guidelines.

The statement also said that the MCMC would check on platform providers who still don’t have the necessary license and think about what steps should be taken under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

The government could investigate and take legal action against platform providers who violate licensing rules.