The Malaysian government is reassessing the eight-million-user threshold for social media licensing, following concerns that online harm can occur even on smaller platforms.
The move comes after incidents involving artificial intelligence (AI) tool Grok on platform X, which is currently exempt from licensing as it reportedly has fewer than eight million Malaysian users. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the case is “hybrid”, with X being a social media platform and Grok an AI application, prompting a review of regulatory thresholds.
“Online harm does not only occur on platforms with large user bases,” Fahmi said in Parliament on Jan 22. The review will involve the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to ensure more comprehensive oversight.
Meanwhile, Fahmi shared that X representatives have committed to preventive measures, user safety enhancements and compliance with Malaysian law, including reporting progress to MCMC.
To date, MCMC has recorded 17 complaints linked to Grok, ranging from formal complaints to police reports and flagged social media posts.
