Censorship is synonymous with the content and entertainment industry in Malaysia. As for Netflix, many parties over the years have publicly urged the authorities to censor it including politicians, FINAS, and the now-defunct streaming service Aflix.
Hence, it is not surprising that the topic appears once again when Astro officially rolled out the Netflix integration into Astra Ultra Box last week. For those who are wondering about this, contents that are being shown on the Netflix app on the Astro connected boxes will not be censored by the company.
This has been noted on the FAQ section of its official website that is dedicated to the streaming service. Astro’s CEO of Pay-TV who is also the Group COO, Euan Smith has also made it clear during last week’s launch event that Netflix has full control over its contents.
There is nothing surprising about this as the Netflix app on Astro connected boxes generally functions just like any other Netflix app out there. Hence, the content came directly from Netflix rather than being fed by Astro.
This is similar to how Astro has no control over the contents on HBO Go. In fact, the company sometimes may have seen this as an advantage given how it has used the “uncensored” element as part of the marketing campaign for the Game of Thrones’ final season back in 2019.
For concerned parents and guardians out there, do check out this section of Netflix’s support site to learn more about Netflix’s parental control features which include a dedicated Kids profile, PIN-based profile lock, and the ability to block specific titles.
