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Online and telco rules · · by the Synctech team

Online Safety Plans due 28 Dec 2026: what changes on social media

Online Safety Plans due 28 Dec 2026: what changes on social media

Licensed social media and messaging platforms in Malaysia must send an Online Safety Plan to MCMC by 28 December 2026. The rule comes from regulations under the Online Safety Act 2025, in force since 1 July 2026. The duty is on the platforms, so businesses do not file anything. If you market on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or WhatsApp, expect more reporting buttons, safety settings and age checks.

What the regulations say

The Online Safety Plan regulations, gazetted as P.U. (A) 244/2026, were made on 26 June 2026 by the Minister of Communications. They came into force on 1 July 2026. MCMC publishes the text on its website.

Licensed applications service providers and content applications service providers get 180 days from 1 July 2026 to prepare the plan and send MCMC a copy. Counted from that date, 180 days ends on 28 December 2026. Lowyat.NET reports that the Deputy Communications Minister gave the same date in the Dewan Rakyat. A platform licensed later gets 180 days from the date of its own licence.

After that, the plan has to be kept up to date. A fresh copy goes to MCMC every year, and also whenever the service or its duties change in a big way. Each platform must name one or more online safety officers. A platform that breaks the regulations can be fined up to RM1 million on conviction.

Which platforms this covers

MCMC said on 15 December 2025 that messaging and social media services with 8 million or more users in Malaysia are deemed licensed from 1 January 2026. It named WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

What goes into the plan

The form in the regulations asks each platform to explain:

  • how it lowers the risk of users seeing harmful content, following MCMC's code
  • the guides it gives users on its safety tools and settings
  • the tools users can use themselves, such as filters, privacy options and limits on who can contact them
  • default settings for children's accounts
  • how users report harmful content
  • help for users, such as a help desk, live chat, FAQ or in-app help
  • how it protects child users and blocks access to the most harmful content

MCMC's Under-16 page adds that since 1 June 2026, social media platforms must check the age of users by law. Children under 16 should not run their own accounts. They may use social media through a parent's account with the parent watching.

What this means for you

Most of the work falls on Meta, TikTok, Google and the other big platforms. Your shop or company page does not file a plan, but the changes will show up in your marketing.

  1. Reporting gets easier. Posts that look like scams, use fake claims or show unsafe products are more likely to be flagged and taken down. Keep promotions honest and clear, and keep proof of your claims.
  2. Young followers may drop. With age checks in place, people under 16 lose their own accounts. If you sell to students or parents, expect your audience numbers to move, and target parents instead.
  3. Check who runs your page. The people who run your business page should use their own real, verified adult accounts with two-step login. A page tied to one staff member's account can be locked during an age or identity check.
  4. Look out for new settings. Platforms may add new privacy, contact and comment controls. Look at your page settings every month or two, so a new default does not hide your posts or block customer messages.
  5. Keep a channel you own. A business website and an email list keep working when a social account is limited or under review. A site with your products and contact details is a safe base. Our web design team can help build one.

If your business runs its own app, forum or platform where users post content, whether these rules apply to you is a legal question. Please check with a lawyer or MCMC directly.

Source and credit

We are sharing this news from Lowyat.NET and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). This summary is written by Synctech in our own words.

Questions? Open a ticket or WhatsApp +6016-7618518.