MCMC: Mobile data used only for anonymised national statistics

CYBERJAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has clarified that no Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from telcos has been accessed, processed or disclosed.
In a statement posted on social media today, the commission said mobile phone data (MPD) collected under its programme is fully anonymised and used solely to produce official statistics to support policymaking in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and tourism sectors.
It said the data is limited to aggregate metrics such as active broadband subscriptions and domestic visitor trends by region.
"Telcos either process the anonymised data internally or submit it to MCMC without any information that could identify individual users. In both cases, no individual subscriber can be identified," it said.
MCMC added that the data programme was developed in line with international best practices, in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science.
The initiative reportedly underwent two years of engagement with mobile network operators (MNOs), government ministries and statisticians.
A national workshop held in September 2024 included participation from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti), the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac), and major MNOs including CelcomDigi, Maxis, TM Tech, U Mobile and YTL.
MCMC said the use of MPD as a new source of national statistics is part of the government's strategy to enhance the quality and timeliness of data for policy and planning.
The commission noted that similar models are already in place in countries such as Indonesia and Brazil, where anonymised telecommunications data is used to improve statistical systems while safeguarding user privacy.
Earlier today, the South China Morning Post reported that two industry sources confirmed the government had, in April, sent a letter to telcos directing them to submit detailed records of calls and internet use for the first quarter of 2025.
The letter, issued under the government's Mobile Phone Data project, reportedly warned that non-compliance would be an offence under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA).

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