Latest news with #anonymisedData
Free Malaysia Today
09-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Nothing new or intrusive about mobile data sharing, says MCMC
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said the sharing of anonymised mobile phone data is done according to benchmark international standards. (Freepik pic) CYBERJAYA : The sharing of anonymised mobile phone data (MPD) with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is neither new nor intrusive, and mirrors what global tech platforms already do every day, says a commission member. Derek John Fernandez said the move is consistent with the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, and falls within international best practices on data use for infrastructure planning and national development. 'This goes on every day if you subscribe to Google, Facebook – and they have even more than that. 'We do it within benchmark international standards. I refer you to the United Nations sustainability report, expert conferences, and the practice around the world on this matter,' he said in a media briefing today. He was responding to concerns about whether mobile users can opt out of the process if they are uncomfortable with the use of their data. MCMC deputy managing director Zulkarnain Yasin said opting out was not an option, as the move had been approved at the highest level. 'It's a Cabinet decision. What we are doing is for national development. This is also part of the regulatory requirements that we have asked the operators to comply with,' he said. Zulkarnain also said that the anonymised MPD collected by the communications ministry and MCMC is not classified as personal data as data they receive from mobile network operators (MNOs) cannot be used to identify or trace individuals. 'The eight data sets collected by MNOs only include an anonymised identifier set by the operators, the date and time of the transaction by transmitters, the location of the transmission tower connected to the devices, the type of network, and country identifier.' He also gave his assurance that the practice was in full compliance with Malaysian laws and international standards. When asked why the public had not been directly informed that the MPD sharing project was proceeding despite stakeholder engagement sessions, Zulkarnain said the process had been transparent at the government level. 'The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), when they got approval from the Cabinet, did a lot of media engagement, led by the chief statistician,' he said. DOSM representative Jamaliah Jaafar added that the project was thoroughly discussed and planned in collaboration with several key agencies. 'We had discussions on this project with MCMC, the telcos, and the tourism ministry. We also prepared a Cabinet paper, which was approved. 'Last year, we had a session with the telcos to explain what MPD is, what the benefits are, and why countries like Indonesia are already doing this,' she said. Yesterday, telco companies reaffirmed their commitment to protecting customer data following the sharing of MPD for official statistical purposes. In separate statements, CelcomDigi, U Mobile, Telekom Malaysia, and Maxis stressed that only anonymised data – without any personally identifiable information – would be shared with MCMC. On Friday, MCMC clarified that its collection of mobile phone data from MNOs did not involve the access, processing, or disclosure of any personally identifiable information.
Free Malaysia Today
08-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
MCMC not collecting public's personal data, says Fahmi
Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said discussions on the collection of anonymised data have been going on since 2023 and have not been an issue. KUALA LUMPUR : Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil has assured the public that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is not collecting any personal information from telecommunications companies. Fahmi said the data which MCMC has requested telecommunications companies to provide will not be shared in a form that contains any personally identifiable information. He said MCMC's request for phone companies to hand over data on all mobile phone calls made from January to March is a Cabinet decision aimed at collecting data for the statistics department. This would enable more detailed information to be collected regarding the quality, service levels, and number of users in a particular sub-district or area. 'The telcos will not be sharing any data containing personal information. Only anonymised data will be (shared), and it will be processed as carefully as possible by the telcos,' he told reporters after an Aidiladha sacrificial event in Lembah Pantai here today. 'This is a decision that has been made jointly by the telcos and MCMC, and it also involves agencies such as the statistics department. 'Since 2023, there have been a series of workshops discussing this, and it has not been an issue.' Noting that most of the data about the country's telecommunications sector is 'too general', Fahmi said the communications ministry is starting to shift from providing information based on coverage of populated areas to more specific data provided by each telco. 'Therefore, we want to ensure that the data collected under the statistics department will support better planning and policymaking that is evidence-based and ultimately benefits the people,' he said. On Friday, MCMC defended its directive requiring phone companies to hand over data on all mobile phone calls made from January to March. It said no personal information would be accessed, processed, or disclosed by the commission. It also said the data requested was anonymised and contained no information that can be used to identify any person. This came as the South China Morning Post, quoting industry sources, said Putrajaya had ordered mobile phone companies to hand over detailed records of phone calls and internet usage.
Malay Mail
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Fahmi assures public MCMC only collecting anonymised telco data, no personal information involved
KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil has assured the public that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is not collecting any personal information from telecommunications companies. According to Free Malaysia Today, Fahmi said the request for mobile phone call data from January to March involves anonymised information and contains no personally identifiable details. 'The telcos will not be sharing any data containing personal information. Only anonymised data will be (shared), and it will be processed as carefully as possible by the telcos,' he told reporters after an Aidiladha sacrificial event in Lembah Pantai today. Fahmi said the initiative, made by Cabinet decision, is intended to assist the Department of Statistics in collecting detailed data for planning and policymaking. He said the data would enable more accurate insights into service quality, coverage, and user numbers at the sub-district level. 'This is a decision that has been made jointly by the telcos and MCMC, and it also involves agencies such as the statistics department,' he said. He added that workshops involving stakeholders had been held since 2023, and the matter had not been contentious. Fahmi said the ministry is shifting from reporting general coverage data to more specific information from each telecommunications company. He said the aim is to support better evidence-based planning that will benefit the public. On Friday, MCMC defended its directive requiring telcos to submit mobile call records from the first quarter of the year. The commission said the data is anonymised and cannot be used to identify individuals.
