KUALA LUMPUR: The federal government, led by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, met with Meta's South-East Asia Public Policy Director Rafael Frankel and his team on Tuesday evening.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Oct 30), Fahmi stated that the meeting was to discuss preparations for the enforcement of social media platform licensing and internet messaging regulations, set to begin in January 2025.
"During the discussion, Meta shared its views on the compliance required to meet the established conditions, including the Code of Conduct and the Online Safety Act, which they have not yet fully reviewed," he said.
Fahmi said he reminded Meta that the government’s intent in imposing this licence is to address criminal activities migrating to social media, including scams, online gambling, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes against children.
However, he emphasised that the government remains committed to listening to the views of all social media platforms, considering that the licence to be imposed is a class licence.
The licence will apply to all platforms that meet the requirements, including those with at least 8 million users in Malaysia.
Fahmi noted that Meta has agreed to provide feedback on the draft Code of Conduct, published on Oct 22, and will hold further discussions with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) early next week to examine several aspects in greater detail.
He also welcomed Meta’s willingness to continue cooperating on this licensing issue but criticised the company for failing to address crimes related to paedophilia and child grooming, particularly on the Facebook platform.
"Meta needs to be far more proactive in combating groups on its social media accounts that facilitate such criminal sexual activities," he said.
Fahmi reaffirmed the Madani government’s commitment to ensuring that social media platforms take a firm stance in addressing online crime, creating a safer internet for everyone, especially children and families.
Communications Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa and MCMC Chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din also participated in the discussion.
