‘Don’t misuse Sirim certification’

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has issued a stern warning to Android box suppliers and sellers not to misuse the Sirim certification and MCMC label to mislead the public into believing that the authorities condone any act of illegal streaming and downloading.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the Commission explained that the MCMC label and certification issued by Sirim on certain Android TV boxes are only meant to state that the WiFi and Bluetooth modules on the devices have complied with technical standards imposed by MCMC. If it discovers that sellers have misused the certifications, MCMC stated it will not hesitate to take action such as revoking the certification label on the Android boxes, and issuing a recall of all Android boxes, whether they have been sold or as still in the market.

From October 2018 to January 2020, MCMC issued compound notices totalling RM67,000 on four offences related to the buying and selling of uncertified Android TV boxes.

It added that seven cases were brought to court, resulting in fines totalling RM194,500 in the same time period.

MCMC reminded the public not to be fooled into downloading or streaming copyrighted material using illegal applications or services on Android TV boxes, as it is a punishable offence.

Users can download the Check Your Label app or visit the Sirim website to find out more about the certification label and status of their devices. Users can also visit the MCMC Check Your Label website for more information.