Malaysia Halts Web Traffic Re-Routing Plan Following Censorship Concerns
Malaysia's communications minister halts web traffic re-routing plan. Concerns raised over potential online censorship and impact on digital economy. Government's aim to protect users from harmful online content clarified by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.
This decision comes after feedback from engagement sessions and public comments expressing worries about potential online censorship and harm to Malaysia's digital economy.
The directive, which is set to take effect on September 30, has raised concerns about increased online censorship and the potential harm to Malaysia's digital economy. DNS converts domain names into numerical addresses, which computers use to locate websites on the internet. While local internet service providers manage DNS servers, some users use public DNS servers such as Google or Cloudflare to get faster speeds or access blocked websites.
The government planned to redirect user requests from third-party DNS servers to Malaysian ISP servers. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) clarified that the measure was not "draconian" and was intended to protect vulnerable groups from harmful online content such as gambling, pornography, copyright violations, phishing, and scams. MCMC reported blocking 24,277 websites between 2018 and August 1, 2024 to protect users.
Minister Fahmi Fadzil expressed concern about online crime and promised to engage stakeholders to create a safer internet environment. However, State Assemblyman Syed Ahmad Syed Abdul Rahman Alhadad criticised the plan as potentially harmful to Malaysia's digital economy, which has seen significant investments from tech behemoths such as Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, and Google this year.
Assemblywoman Lim Yi Wei of the Democratic Action Party expressed concerns about censorship and cybersecurity risks, such as DNS poisoning, which allows hackers to redirect web traffic. This decision comes amid heightened scrutiny of online content under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administration, which won the 2022 election on a progressive platform.
An Asian industry group, which includes tech giants such as Meta, Google, and X, recently urged Malaysia to postpone plans to license social media platforms due to unclear regulations.
Malaysia's communications minister halts web traffic re-routing plan.
Concerns raised over potential online censorship and impact on digital economy.
Government's aim to protect users from harmful online content clarified by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.
Source: REUTERS