When we started 2025, it was announced that both Tencent (WeChat) and ByteDance (TikTok) had acquired a social media license to operate in Malaysia. Meta and Telegram will also join the list soon but now, the Malaysian government is considering if LinkedIn is required to apply for it too.
According to sources, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has asked the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to review if LinkedIn is counted as a social media platform and has more than eight million Malaysian users as that's the threshold of the license. If LinkedIn meets the requirements, Fahmi may make contact.
In case you missed it, Fahmi argued that a social media license is required to combat online scams, cybercrime, cyberbullying, gambling and sexual crimes against children. At the moment, X (formerly Twitter) did not apply for the license because it doesn't have more than eight million Malaysian users. YouTube also did not do so, saying it doesn't fit the social media definition.
The Malaysian authorities are still checking with X and YouTube on their numbers of Malaysian users. In addition, Fahmi said YouTube Shorts is quite similar to TikTok so they are asking if the group is planning to "hive off YouTube Shorts to a different application".
COMMENTS