PETALING JAYA: Mobile phone data collected by the government is far less than what big tech companies already have, says a Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) commissioner, amid continued concerns over the initiative.
MCMC commissioner Derek Fernandez said the data collected by the Mobile Phone Data (MPD) programme is anonymised and does not contain any personal information.
“The data we request does not include names, addresses, IC numbers or phone numbers. It’s only general data.
“Big tech companies already have more personal data. They know where you are, what you’re buying. Isn’t that a bigger concern?” he said, addressing critics of the initiative who fear the data could be misused.
Fernandez said the MPD initiative is grounded under International Telecommunications Union practices, a UN agency for information and communication technologies.
“The most important thing is that we tell the telcos not to send us personal identification. Only the Statistics Department will have access to the anonymised data for analysis and policymaking.
“For example, if I want to know how many people like going to a certain place on a Friday, I can either choose to sit there and count, or check mobile phone usage.
“We don’t have granular data on the exact location of the device, only the cell tower it is connected to,” Fernandez added.
At a media briefing on June 9, MCMC deputy managing director Datuk Zurkarnain Mohd Yasin said all mobile network operators have agreed to comply with the MFD.
He also said the Statistics Department will process and analyse the data for publication.
The collected data will be stored at a MCMC premise for three years, while the project, which is in the pilot phase, will continue until 2026.
Telcos have since reaffirmed their commitment to protecting customer data and privacy as the exercise is carried out.
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong also proposed that the government address possible pitfalls with the exercise.
