KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 (Bernama) -- The enforcement of the Application Service Provider Class (ASP(C)) licensing for social media platforms which requires them to register with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is seen as a significant step by the government to protect users, says Kota Melaka MP Khoo Poay Tiong.
He said the bold initiative by the government was crucial in enhancing online security and strengthening the regulation of Internet messaging and social media service providers.
"For example, in the case of Madam Linda Tan, 60, who fell victim to a Facebook scam syndicate, MCMC can direct the platform to remove pages owned by such syndicates," he said in a video statement.
Meanwhile, Tan shared that on Dec 31, she was scammed by a syndicate selling Nyonya cakes on Facebook. After clicking on a WhatsApp link, she was instructed to download another application to view the prices and packages for the cakes.
"After that, my phone screen went black. A friend who visited my house informed me that my phone had been hacked, as they received messages from me (claiming) to borrow money," she said in the same video.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) previously announced that all social media and internet messaging services with at least eight million registered users in Malaysia must apply for a Class Licence for Application Service Providers under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588).
The regulation took effect on Jan 1, 2025, following the introduction of the new regulatory framework for social media and internet messaging services from Aug 1.
On Wednesday (Jan 1), Tencent (WeChat) was granted an ASP(C) licence, making it the first licensed provider under the licensing requirement for Internet messaging and social media platforms.
ByteDance (TikTok) has also secured its licence, while Telegram is in the final stages of the licensing process and is expected to receive approval soon.
-- BERNAMA
