Thousands of Malaysians took to the roads in protest of the decision made by the regulatory body Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to block 10 file-sharing websites in its effort to combat piracy.
The websites are mostly used to download pirated content including movies, TV shows and music.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said it wanted Malaysian Internet service providers (ISPs) to block the 10 websites that violated copyright laws, including the Pirate Bay.
The protest could be seen on Facebook as well, with over 6,500 people posting messages against the decision.
The Multimedia Commission has defended its move and has denied that it was censoring the Internet. It said that the Malaysia’s Domestic Trade Ministry had asked the regulatory body for help to enforce copyright regulations. It denied the move amounted to censorship.
Some Malaysian filmmakers have welcomed the ban, saying illegal sharing was destroying the film industry.
