00:00There's been a wave of concern lately. Claims that the government is tracking you,
00:05that telcos are handing over your personal data, that your privacy is under threat.
00:11Let's take a closer look. This is about the Mobile Phone Data Project, or MPD,
00:16a government-approved initiative that started last year. The goal? To use mobile data to improve
00:22public panic. Things like 5G coverage, tourism flows, and infrastructure gaps. But here's what's
00:28actually being collected. The time you use your phone, which tower it connects to, the type of
00:33service, voice, SMS, or data. What's not collected? Your names, your IC numbers, messages, or a way to
00:41identify who you are. According to MCMC and the telcos involved, the data is fully anonymized. And
00:48by law, that means it isn't even classified as personal data. And yes, this is not unique to
00:54Malaysia. Over 50 countries use mobile data for national statistics. It's backed by the United
01:00Nations as a way to modernize how governments understand real-world trends, provided privacy
01:06is protected. Still, the backlash in Malaysia has been intense. Some say it's about surveillance.
01:13Others say it's a slippery slope. But here's the irony. Every day, we give social media apps permission to
01:19track our exact location, behavior, preferences linked directly to our names, phones, and profiles.
01:26And we accept that. Yet when the same phone data, anonymized, no names attached, is used for public
01:32policy, we panic. Look, people have every right to question how data is handled, especially in a
01:39country that's had its fair share of data leaks. Skepticism is healthy. Transparency matters. But let's be
01:47clear. This project isn't about spying. It's not about controlling you. It's about using general
01:54patterns, not personal profiles, to help the system work better. So don't just believe the outreach.
02:00Check the facts, then decide what's really worth worrying about. Attach Abuse FMT
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