KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 7 -- Social media companies now have to play by the rules of a new law in Malaysia, but they may find it actually benefits them.

On January 1, these two key events affecting these companies happened in Malaysia:

1. Automatic registration as licensees

For social media and internet messaging companies with at least eight million users in Malaysia (think: WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, WeChat, TikTok, Youtube), they are considered automatically registered as licensees under the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998.

This means they are now regulated by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and have to follow Malaysia's laws including the CMA and ONSA.

2. Online Safety Act 2025...