IN the current digital age, the internet is a critical aspect of everyone’s daily life, no matter which strata of society they come from as it is used to communicate, work, learn and access information from around the world.
However, recent events in Malaysia have raised concerns about a practice called “DNS redirection” and its potential impact on internet freedom.
This article aims to explain what DNS redirection is and why it matters, especially when it comes to press and media freedom.
What is DNS?
To understand DNS redirection, we first need to know what DNS is. DNS stands for “Domain Name System” and it is akin to the internet’s phonebook. When someone types a website address such as https://thesun.my into their browser, DNS translates that human-readable name into a numerical address that computers use to find and connect to the website.
What is DNS redirection?
DNS redirection is when this process is interfered with, usually by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or a government. Instead of the request going to the regular DNS servers, it is sent to different servers controlled by the ISP or government. This allows them to control the websites that users can access.
Imagine if, when you looked up a friend’s number in a phonebook, someone had changed some of the numbers to direct you to different places. That is similar to what DNS redirection does but for websites.
Why is DNS redirection used?
Governments and ISPs often claim DNS redirection is used for good reasons such as blocking illegal content, including gambling and pornography sites, protecting users from scams and malware, along with preventing access to copyrighted material.
While these goals may seem positive, DNS redirection can have serious downsides, especially when it comes to freedom of information and expression.
