Hackers hit back at Malaysia’s anti-piracy effort1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteLocal and international groups of internet users have hit back after the Malaysian
government this month became the first in Asia to block file-sharing websites accused of encouraging film piracy.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission this month ordered internet service providers to block some 19 websites. The letter, signed by Digital Security Services division acting senior director Eneng Faridah Iskandar, said that the sites were breaching Section 41 of the Copyright Act 1987, which deals with pirated content, and that the ban had been made at the request of the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry. The banned sites include cyber lockers The Pirate Bay and Mega Upload.
While executives from the film and music recording industry cheered the move as long overdue, parts of the Malaysian public took it very badly. A quickly-launched Facebook page claimed “1M Malaysians Don’t Want Block File Sharing Websites.” Others behaved in more radical fashion.
This week however hackers attacked some 198 websites, including the 51 government sites, inflicting varying amounts of damage and disruption. One group Dragon Force Malaysia invaded the websites of the Polytechnic Studies Department, Higher Education Department and a private tour operator.
