Monday, September 9, 2024 Malaysia’s regulator defends a plan to reroute web traffic through local DNS servers, aiming to protect users from harmful content, raising concerns over censorship. Malaysia’s communications regulator has defended a new directive requiring local telecommunications companies to route web traffic through their own domain name system (DNS) servers. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) stated that the measure, set to take effect on September 30, is intended to safeguard users from harmful online content.
The announcement has raised concerns, even among some members of the ruling party, over the potential for increased online censorship and its possible impact on Malaysia’s burgeoning digital economy. DNS, a system used to translate website domain names into numerical addresses that computers use to locate websites, plays a crucial role in how internet users navigate the web. While many internet service providers (ISPs) operate their own DNS servers, some users prefer public DNS servers, like those provided by Google or Cloudflare, to improve internet speeds or access content blocked by local ISPs.
Under the new plan, user requests directed to public DNS servers will be rerouted to those operated by Malaysian ISPs. The MCMC has denied claims that the move is overly restrictive, insisting that the goal is to protect vulnerable users from harmful content, including online gambling, pornography, copyright violations, phishing, and financial scams. The regulator also clarified that users who experience issues accessing websites can file complaints with their ISPs, while website owners who face blocking can appeal to the authorities.
Despite these assurances, critics within the ruling coalition have voiced concerns. Syed Ahmad Syed Abdul Rahman Alhadad, a state assemblyman and member of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s People’s Justice Party, labeled the directive as “draconian,” warning that it could harm Malaysia’s digital economy, which has recently seen significant investments from global tech giants such as Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, and Google. Similarly, Lim Yi Wei, a Democratic Action Party assemblywoman, argued that the policy amounts to censorship and exposes the country to cybersecurity risks, such as DNS poisoning, where web traffic could be redirected by malicious actors.
The move comes at a time of increasing scrutiny of online content under the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who was elected on a progressive platform in 2022. Last month, an Asian industry group representing major tech companies, including Meta, Google, and X, urged Malaysia to delay plans to license social media platforms, citing concerns over a lack of transparency in the proposed regulations..
