Malaysia Is Working on an Internet Kill Switch

• Minister Azalina Othman Said issued a statement revealing that Malaysia is working on a new internet kill switch" legislation for digital safety.
• We have no information on what this kill switch will block or under what circumstances it will be activated. It'll all be clear when the legislation finally reaches the parliament this October.
• A bunch of other measures to enhance digital security have also been taken by the Malaysian government and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

The Minister for Law and Institutional Reform, Azalina Othman Said, issued a statement on Sunday revealing that Malaysia is legislating for a new internet kill switch' to enhance digital security. The legislation is expected to reach the parliament this October.

Minister Azalina did not say much about what content will be blocked or under what circumstances will the proposed kill switch activate.

However, she did say that this initiative is to ensure that social media apps and internet messaging providers are more careful about their product's security. This is because they are often misused by criminals to commit financial fraud, bullying, sexual harassment, and child abuse.

The proposed kill switch would allow Malaysian authorities to quickly remove public access to dangerous websites or services, including social media platforms, thereby making it impossible for these platforms to server as weapons for cybercrime.

Minister Azalina also revealed that the Malaysian government is studying proposed amendments that would help define and classify cyberbullying" which in turn will help them design the right measures to counter it.

In September this year, which is next month, Malaysia will host a conference to discuss the severity of online dangers. Academics and former Facebook employee-turned-whistleblower Frances Haugen are expected to join the conference.

Another Important Announcement for Social Media Platforms in Malaysia

Furthermore, just a day before the kill switch' announcement, Malaysias internet regulator, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), released a separate statement saying all social media and online messaging platforms with more than 8 million registered Malaysian users will have to apply for a license by January 1, 2025, or they will face legal action.

It's well worth noting that this rule is not entirely new. As per Malaysia's Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, network facilities providers, network service providers, application service providers, and content applications service providers were required to apply for a license. And now, this rule has been extended to social media and messaging platforms as well.

Public Reaction to Malaysia's Initiatives

While the above do seem like good initiatives to protect Malaysian internet users from online abuse, not everyone is happy about it.

For example, London-based international human rights organization called Article 19' and and 66 partner organizations penned an open letter, calling Malaysia's measures a blatant abuse of power."

While they agree that some form of regulation is important to keep online platforms safe, they also feel that government intervention is not the way to handle it. If anything, it would stifle" social media and discourage public participation in democracy.

The accusations aren't entirely false, as social media platforms, for a long time, have been in the crosshairs of the Malaysian government. So, the kill switch might just be a political ploy for the authorities to apply pressure and censor social media channels.

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