Over 240 illegal streaming sites have been blocked by MCMC to curb content piracy

MCMC working on reports from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry have blocked access to 246 illegal content streaming sources that provide illegal streaming content through Android TV boxes. The move is part of MCMC’s crackdown on content piracy in the country.

MCMC’s Network Security and Enforcement Sector chief officer Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin told The Star that he is working closely with the ministry to shut down the sites that provide illegal content such as movies and TV shows to Android TV boxes.

“Based on the details and complaints from the rights’ owners which were made to the ministry, MCMC facilitated the shutdown,” he said, adding that the commission blocked access to the illegal streaming sources based on the reports it has received from the ministry of trade and consumer affairs.

“We are working closely with the ministry and only through their complaints and the details provided to us, such as their domain and URLs, on the illegal streaming sites, can we act to block the access,” he added.

Illegal streaming sites have found a way to circumvent the many laws protecting content copyright. Zulkarnain said such sites have no legal jurisdiction over the breach of copyrights and intellectual property laws. He also added many of the Android boxes available in the market here are illegal they do not carry the required SIRIM certification.

He said the Android devices need to be certified as to ensure it complies with the operating standard approved by MCMC and that it does not interfere or disrupt with the frequencies that had been allocated or approved to the other gadgets.

“Importers and distributors of such devices need to get the gadget tested to see if they complied with the standard approved by MCMC. The approved device would be given SIRIM stickers to indicate it had passed certification and can be used legally,” he said.

In cracking down the sales of the Android boxes, Zulkarnain said the MCMC enforcement unit has stepped up surveillance and monitoring as well as enforcement against distributors and sellers caught with non-certified Android boxes, which are widely sold in shopping malls and online shopping websites.

“We know who they are and will act against them soon to discourage and stop these illegal boxes, that encourage illegal content streaming, which breaches copyright and intellectual property laws,” he said, adding that the distributor and seller of these boxes can be fined up to a maximum of RM100,000 and jailed six months or both under the Communications and Multimedia (technical standards) regulations, if convicted for not having the approval.

He also said that consumers must be wary when using non-certified devices as it could contain malware that can discreetly collect personal data and other details unbeknownst to the user.

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[via SoyaCincau BM]