Meta seeks more time on social media licensing registration

Social media company Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has sought the government to extend its deadline for social media licensing registration, which was scheduled to come into force on Jan 1.

In an interview with Malaysiakini yesterday, Meta public policy director for Southeast Asia Rafael Frankel raised the tech giant’s concern over what he described as an “incredibly accelerated timeline” that Putrajaya gave social media platforms to subscribe to its new regulations.

The worry was chiefly on the backdrop of unclear obligations that the government is going to impose on the platforms, according to the executive.

“They have just released the code of conduct, and we are now providing our feedback for the first time. We still haven’t seen the online safety bill.

“And those are going to be the kind of regulations that they are going to use to enforce the licensing regime and decide whether we are compliant with them or not.

“So, being asked to register for a licence before you even know what the obligations are that you are going to be held to… that is concerning.

“So we have said to the government many times that the timeline is an issue, it is a concern, and that leads to kind of an overall concern with the (licensing) regime,” he said.

The exclusive interview was held a day after a team of Meta representatives led by Frankel reportedly met with Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and his officers in Putrajaya to discuss the company’s readiness for the licensing regulations.

In July, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced that it will implement a new regulatory framework that compels social media and internet messaging services to apply for a licence.

The framework came into effect on Aug 1, but companies have until Jan 1 to get licensed or face punishment that can include fines and/or jail time if they continue to operate in Malaysia.

Successful models take years

While Frankel said Meta understands the urgency that the government feels to implement a regulatory regime, they are worried about the speed it is happening and “whether it is going to allow for proper considerations to be made”.

He said the company has worked with many other governments around the world on social media regulations, and they found the most successful framework models were usually developed in steps that usually take at least “a couple of years”.

The steps include giving time for proper engagement and feedback with industry players and civil society organisations, and for amendments to be made accordingly to the feedback, among others.

On top of this, according to Frankel, social media platforms were also given a timeline to make the necessary adjustments to their processes, operations, and products.

“We certainly wouldn't want to see a situation where such a rapidly deployed regulatory structure inhibits innovation, inhibits digital economic growth. That wouldn’t be a good outcome.

“That is one of the things that we have asked for,” he said in response to a question about whether Meta has asked the government for an extended timeline for it to register for regulatory licensing.

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