MCMC denies spying activities on mobile

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has come out in a statement on its website to deny allegations that certain individuals’ mobile phones were being monitored and spied on by the authorities in the country.Calling such claims “false and baseless”, it added that the public should not easily believe or disseminate unverified information as it could cause public confusion and annoyance.“As a regulatory body which oversees the development of the communications and multimedia industry, the MCMC does not monitor or spy on contents uploaded by users on the WhatsApp application,” said the statement.Rumours and falsehoods about MCMC’s scrutiny on mobile activities are not new.Last year, MCMC shut down a viral message on Whatsapp suggesting that the organisation would monitor digital activities for all smartphone users. The fake news claimed that all SMSes, phone calls and social media mobile activities would be logged and recorded. The message also stated that all smartphones would be connected to a central monitoring system operated by the Ministry of Home Affairs.Read more:MCMC clamps down on 2,823 social media accounts for fraudulent activitiesMCMC urges Malaysians to change Facebook and Instagram passwordsMCMC asks social platforms to remove Christchurch shooting clipsMCMC lifts temporary suspension of Mad Labs