Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has released an online statement to address recent concerns and misconceptions surrounding their ongoing efforts to regulate internet traffic through Domain Name Service (DNS) Management.
This follows after public outcry on MCMC’s initiative to restrict certain internet access, calling it ‘draconian’. For MCMC, they reiterated that Malaysia’s implementation of such measures is for the protection of vulnerable groups from harmful online content.
“An inaccurate claim also suggests a so-called blanket ban, with some suggesting that legitimate websites have been made inaccessible because of DNS redirection. Websites are only blocked when they are found to host malicious or unlawful content, such as online gambling, pornography, copyright infringements, scam, phishing, and etc. Legitimate websites remain accessible as usual, and DNS redirection ensures that harmful websites are blocked while legitimate websites remain reachable without noticeable disruption,” the commission stated.
MCMC has stated that it has issued instructions to ISPs to redirect DNS traffic towards third-party DNS servers back to their own DNS servers. This is to ensure that users continue to benefit from the protection provided by local ISP’s DNS servers and ensuring that malicious websites are inaccessible by Malaysians.
It also stated that some users choose to use third-party DNS servers like Google DNS or Cloudflare, and is said to be offering various benefits such as faster speeds. However, they might not have the same level of protection for harmful content particularly in the local context, compared to local ISP’s DNS servers.
For context, DNS is a system designed to turn website addresses into numeric IP addresses to locate websites on the internet. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) typically operate their own DNS servers and these servers can be configured to block access to certain websites or domains based on their content. This is a common method used to protect users from harmful content.
Following said measures, MCMC said that between 2018 and 1 August 2024, the commission has blocked a total of 24,277 websites, classified into various categories: online gambling (39%), pornography/obscene content (31%), copyright infringement (14%), other harmful sites which include the sale of unregistered products, unregistered money lending activity, disclosure/sale of personal data (12%), prostitution (2%), and unlawful investments/scams (2%).
“MCMC remains committed to maintaining a safe and secure online environment in Malaysia, balancing the protection of internet users with the need for seamless access to legitimate online content,” they said.
