Malaysia Weighs LinkedIn’s Need for a Social Media License

(Bloomberg) — Malaysia is studying whether LinkedIn Corp. will require a social media license to continue operating in Malaysia as the government seeks to broaden internet controls.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said he has asked the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to review whether LinkedIn has more than the licensing threshold of 8 million users in Malaysia and if they are considered a social media platform. 

“We may contact LinkedIn,” Fahmi said at a briefing Wednesday in Putrajaya.

Malaysia joins efforts by governments across Asia to clamp down on online platforms and hold Big Tech firms accountable for illegal content. From Kuala Lumpur to New Delhi and Canberra, officials are increasingly looking for ways to regulate or curtail social media, which can sway public opinion on politically sensitive issues. 

The requirement for a social media license was effective this year and is meant to combat rising cases of cybercrime, including online fraud and gambling, as well as cyberbullying and sexual crimes against children, according to MCMC.

ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok, Telegram and Tencent Holdings Ltd.’s WeChat have already received their social media licenses, according to Fahmi. Meta Platforms Inc. — which owns WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram — is still in the process of submitting follow-up documents to authorities, and a license is expected to be issued to them “very soon,” he said.

Malaysia’s government is still in discussions with Elon Musk’s X and Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube on whether or not both platforms need licenses to continue operating in the country. X has denied it has more than 8 million users, while YouTube said it doesn’t fit into the definition of social media, he added. 

YouTube Shorts — a product within YouTube — is similar though to TikTok, Fahmi said. “There are elements of sharing, commenting,” he said. 

Malaysian authorities are checking if YouTube can explain how many users they have and whether they plan to hive off YouTube Shorts to a different application soon, he said.

“We are giving them a little time,” said Fahmi. “If there is any content that breaks the law, we are still able to contact the platforms for further action.”

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