Back in 2 May earlier this year, URL links sent over SMS from personal numbers have been blocked as per the directive issued by the Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Soon, even businesses will be blocked from doing so.

Currently, SMS sent by businesses via short codes can still contain URL links. But as per an SMS sent to us from Maxis, this will be blocked from 2 July next month. Even Digi has shared this through a notice on its website.

The main objective of this initiative is to prevent consumers from becoming victims of online scams through the use of phishing websites. Interestingly, this block is applicable to SMS (sent and received) from both local and international mobile numbers.

Since businesses cannot send URL links over SMS from 2 July next month, many are moving to in-app authentications for verification purposes. This is especially true for banking apps, so make sure you enable it to perform your regular transactions.