A malfunctioning traffic light or digital billboard is not uncommon to see, but yesterday, Malaysians took note of several DOOH (digital out-of-home) billboards going haywire around the country.
On 13 May, netizens have been raving about billboards across Malaysia showing a random search result screen seemingly all at once, leaving commuters and pedestrians puzzled. From Klang Valley, Penang, Ipoh, to even Kota Kinabalu and Kuching in East Malaysia, screens have been flashing random search queries, including bizarre questions like “Who is M Nasir?”, “Is pickleball overrated?” and other oddly personal internet searches instead of regular advertisements.
“Did someone’s search results get leaked somehow?”
Netizens took to social media to talk about the strange phenomenon, either with intrigue, worry or a bit of both.
@nobizukadorayaki OMGGG whose search history is this 🤣🤣 #socuteeee #billboard #pityadmin ♬ original sound – Nobita Shizuka
One of these billboards can be viewed via TikTok user @nobizukdorayaki at Kelana Jaya. “The secret is out to the whole highway! Everyone saw this,” she said in her caption.
Some speculated that it’s a leak. As user 迷迷糊糊 said after sharing a sighting at Damansara–Puchong Expressway (LDP) on their Xiahongshu account, “Is it a technical problem with the billboard?” she wondered in her caption. “After searching, I found that I was not the only one who saw; many places were showing different searches. Whose search history was exposed?”
Authorities and billboard operators refuse to provide comments
Despite the commotion caused, neither the billboard operators nor the local authorities have issued an official statement regarding the billboard displays. WORLD OF BUZZ has also reached out to companies managing the affected screens to no avail. All in all, none of the relevant authorities or operators have acknowledged any technical errors or cyberattacks, deepening the mystery.
While discussions and theories get thrown left and right on social media, this series of billboard incidents will remain the talk of the town until netizens find a logical explanation behind the strange phenomenon.
What do you think is the reason behind this strange incident? Share your theories below and stay tuned as we uncover more updates on this story!
