CYBERJAYA, March 4 — Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo today stressed that the government will not waver from its pledge to protect public data and information, after a news report alleging Facebook's global effort in lobbying against data protection policies.

In a press conference here, Gobind said that while the government welcomes investments and ideas with regards to technological development, all discussions or negotiations will uphold the interest and the security of the people.

“Lots of people approach Malaysia with all sorts of ideas and a lots of suggestions, but our position is very,very clear. We are now formulating policies when it comes to data. But I think at the end of the day, at the top most on our minds, is to ensure that there is privacy and security.

“So to us, we are going to carry on with what we have done before, which is to assure everyone that whatever it is that we do, be it in terms of data, be it in terms of infrastructure and things like that, security is the top most on our minds, and whatever discussion, will be be held with that in the backdrop,” Gobind told reporters after officiating the Cyberjaya Infra Conference and exhibition 2019, here.

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On Saturday, The Guardian reported that Facebook has targeted politicians globally, with the promise of investments and incentives, in turn for having them lobbying against data privacy legislation on its behalf.

Citing confidential documents, seen and reported about by Observer and Computer Weekly, The Guardian reported on an allegedly secretive global lobbying operation targeting lawmakers and government regulators by flexing its influence, including in the UK, US, Canada, India, Vietnam, Argentina, Brazil, Malaysia, as well as 28 states in the European Union (EU).

Facebook also allegedly threatened to withhold investment from countries, unless these nations supported or enact laws friendly to its operations.

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The social media giant is already rocked by data privacy scandals, after revelations in the Observer previously, that political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica (CA) had gotten data on millions of Facebook users, including information on friends of those who had downloaded a psychological quiz app.

This despite those friends not giving CA consent to share their details.

Singapore had last year, also questioned Facebook via its Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods, following the CA furore.