Major tech companies must comply with local laws if they wish to continue operating in the country, said comms minister Fahmi Fadzil. This comes after the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), which includes prominent companies such as Google, Meta, and X (formerly Twitter), appealed via an open letter addressed to prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, urging the government to pause the licensing requirement for social media and messaging platforms.
Fahmi responded by expressing the government’s willingness to engage with the AIC and other industry groups to discuss the regulations. However, he made it clear that there are no plans to delay the rollout, which are intended to address the increasing issue of cybercrime. As revealed by the minister prior to this, the new regulations require social media platforms and messaging services with over eight million users to obtain a regulatory licence, with the threat of legal action for non-compliance starting on 1 January 2025.
“Big tech companies are big, but our laws are bigger,” Fahmi told reporters. “If they want to operate in Malaysia, they must respect and comply with our laws.”
In the letter dated August 23, the AIC had urged the government to reconsider, citing concerns that the new rules were not clearly defined. Interestingly, the original document was taken down from the AIC’s website on Monday, while Grab – a member of the coalition – later stated that it had not been consulted regarding the letter’s contents. The e-hailing and food delivery tech giant also clarified that it is committed to collaborating with the government.
AIC later published a revised version of the letter to its website, dated 26 August. Notably, the new version omitted several sentences, including one that described the government’s plan as “unworkable” for the tech industry. A list of member companies under the coalition was also removed, though this information is still available elsewhere on the group’s website.
(Source: Bernama)
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