Tech Porn

Malaysia to crack down on porn stored in mobiles -- report

Agence France-Presse

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia has launched a crackdown on porn stored on mobile phones, with police authorized to carry out random spot checks to catch culprits, a report said Monday.

Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar said offenders could be charged with possession of pornographic materials.

"The same also goes for all telecommunications shop operators. If you are found to provide downloading services, action will be taken against you as well," Noh was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

He was responding to a report in a local tabloid saying that teenagers were abusing video recording features in mobile phones to capture images of mass sex parties before distributing them.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had asked police to take immediate action, Noh said.

While the government has moved to improve Internet access throughout the mainly Muslim nation, it is concerned that increasing numbers of Malaysians will be able to view pornography through computers and mobile devices.

Government computers have been blocked from accessing salacious websites, while school computers are to have porn filters installed.

Internet service providers have also been instructed to provide all their customers with low-cost software to bar access to Internet pornography.