Internet Censorship Update: Blocking of ArtStation.com website
20th September 2024, Sinar Project with test data measurements from Open Observervatory for Network Interference (OONI), confirmed that a few Malaysian Internet service providers were implementing what appears to be a mandated blocking of the website ArtStation.com, a prominent platform for showcasing games, film, media, and entertainment art.
After running test measurements and analyzing the data, Sinar Project has confirmed that ArtStation (www.artstation.com) has been blocked since September 6.
As of 17th September, data on OONI indicates that blocking occurred on networks run by at least 3 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) which redirected users to a server maintained by MCMC. This would have resulted in users facing difficulties in accessing the website. The ISPs are:
- TM (AS4788)
- Maxis (AS9534)
- TIME (AS9930)
Source: OONI Explorer
The data on OONI was collected through the OONI Probe App by Sinar Project and various volunteers. A confirmed blocking on OONI shows that there has been DNS blocking on the website whereby the DNS had been tampered to redirect to MCMC’s IP address: 175.139.142.25.
On September 6, Fahmi Fadzil, Malaysia's Minister of Communications, clarified on X that the blocking of ArtStation.com was not mandated by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Instead, it originated from a request made in June by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) to Internet Service Providers regarding a copyright violation, which was also communicated to the MCMC.
Call for testing
Sinar Project is calling for volunteers to help with the continuous monitoring and testing of internet censorship. Further information can be found here or our Telegram group.
About Internet Monitoring and Action Project (iMAP)
Sinar Project works on the Internet Monitoring Action Project (iMAP), which monitors network interference in nine countries: Myanmar, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Sinar Project is currently working with national digital rights partners in these nine countries. The project is done via Open Observatory Network Interference (OONI) detection and reporting systems, involving the maintenance of test lists and measurements.
More information is available at: imap.sinarproject.org.
About Sinar Project
Sinar Project is a civic tech initiative using open technology, open data and policy analysis to systematically make important information public and more accessible. It aims to improve governance and encourage greater citizen involvement in the public affairs of the nation by making Parliament and Government more open, transparent and accountable.
More information is available at: sinarproject.org
Any enquiries and suggestions about this update can be directed via email to [email protected]