16 June 2025
Following reports that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) instructed telcos to submit mobile network usage data for the first three months of 2025, major Malaysian telecom providers — CelcomDigi, Maxis, U Mobile, and YTL Communications — have issued statements assuring the public that customer data and privacy remain protected.
In April, the MCMC sent a letter to telcos requesting data including call records, IP call records, location data, and geolocation details as part of its Mobile Phone Data (MPD) project, which has been ongoing since 2024. This project aims to collect granular statistics to inform policy decisions across the ICT and tourism sectors.
Industry sources expressed concerns over transparency and privacy, noting that the request was not made publicly available and raising alarm about potential misuse amid Malaysia’s rising cyber threats and data leaks. In response, the MCMC clarified that all data supplied for the MPD project is anonymized and contains no personally identifiable information (PII). The regulator emphasized that the data is solely used for statistical purposes and can be processed either by telcos internally or by the MCMC itself.
The MCMC highlighted its collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the UN Committee of Experts on Big Data and Data Science, asserting that similar initiatives are underway in countries like Indonesia and Brazil.
In their official statements issued on Sunday, each telco reaffirmed their commitment to data privacy and compliance with relevant laws. CelcomDigi stated it would process data within secure environments and provide anonymized, aggregated data to the MCMC. Maxis assured that no PII is accessed or shared at any stage, with all data anonymized and processed securely. U Mobile emphasized that all shared data is strictly anonymized and aggregated, with full compliance to data protection laws. YTL Communications confirmed rigorous anonymization processes and highlighted that customer privacy remains a top priority.
