Malaysia grants WeChat and TikTok licenses to operate under new law

Telegram and Meta close to receiving licenses; X says its user base is too small

20250102 Wechat and Tiktok

Malaysia reported a sharp increase in harmful social media content in early 2024 and urged social media companies, including Meta and TikTok, to step up monitoring of their platforms. © Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -- Malaysia's communications regulator said it granted Tencent's WeChat and ByteDance's TikTok licenses to operate in the country under a new social media law but that some other platforms had not applied.

The law, aimed at tackling rising cybercrime, requires social media platforms and messaging services with more than 8 million users in Malaysia to obtain a license or face legal action. It took effect on Wednesday.

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