Telcos cannot reveal customer info without consent, says minister
HULU TERENGGANU: Telecommunication companies should not provide information on their customers to third parties, says Telecommunications and Multimedia Deputy Minister Datuk Jailani Johari.
They should obtain prior permission from the customers concerned before doing so.
“There is an agreement between the customers and the telecommunication companies concerned, where the companies cannot simply give away information (on customers) to a third party without the consent of the customers.
“If there is such a case, the customers can lodge a report with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which will take action against the company involved,” he told reporters after opening a 1Malaysia Community programme here yesterday.
Jailani was commenting on a news report about problems faced by 78,400 account owners with telecommunication companies who would face problems getting bank loans after their names were blacklisted in their database of private credit reporting agencies, which included CTOS Data System Sdn Bhd.
The names that were blacklisted included a customer that possessed an unpaid telephone bill of just RM42.
In another development, Jailani said the ministry, through the MCMC, had discussed problems during the floods with telecommunication companies.
“We have discussed the need to increase the height of transmission towers in flood prone areas like Hulu Terengganu and Kemaman,” he added. — Bernama