Telegram obtains license to operate in Malaysia

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Messaging platform Telegram has received a license to operate in Malaysia, making it the third to do so following behind Tencent (WeChat) and ByteDance (TikTok).

The messaging platform was granted the license on 2 January, reported The Star. Following which, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil reportedly said that Meta, which operates Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is currently in the process of submitting several documents before obtaining a license.

Speaking at a press conference for the Melaka Digital Village Initiative agreement between the Malaysian communications and multimedia commission (MCMC) and the Melaka government on 6 January, Fadzil reportedly said that he expects the process to be completed in the near future and that he had asked the MCMC to continue its engagement with Google regarding licensing.

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He added that action would continue if Google violates communications laws, explaining that scams and deepfake videos or online gambling played on YouTube is in violations of the laws in Malaysia and that action can be taken for non-compliance, reported Bernama.

The minister said that the ministry is continuing discussions with Google as YouTube does not view themselves as a social media platform. However, 'YouTube Shorts' is similar to TikTok, he added.

As for Elon Musk-owned X, the minister reportedly said that the MCMC is still managing the matter and requires more time as the platform had previously announced that its number of users in the country had not reached the threshold of eight million users.

Licensing social media has been a key focus for Malaysia in the past year. In fact, the deadline to apply for a license was 1 January 2025, of which failure to do so will result in a fine or jail.

The license was reportedly aimed to facilitate revenue-sharing with local content producers and to end harmful and illegal content online. It would also involve platforms such as Meta, Google, TikTok and X as well as a host of other platforms with more than eight million Malaysian users.

In July 2024, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said that social media platforms had responded positively to the need for licensing under the new regulatory framework. However, Meta pushed back in November 2024, claiming that the plan lacked clarity and threatens innovation.

Meanwhile in December 2024, Fahmi said that the government will continue to remind social media platform providers to take action based on guidelines set regarding age limit. Failure to do so will lead to a discussion on the best course of action on it.

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