Media in Brunei

Radio and television are shaped primarily by Radio Television Brunei (RTB), which is assigned to the Prime Minister’s Office. RTB Perdana offers verified government, news and information programmes, RTB Aneka focuses on family entertainment, and RTB Sukmaindera broadcasts local programmes terrestrially and online around the clock. Radio stations include Nasional, Pilihan, Pelangi and Nur Islam; Pilihan FM broadcasts in several languages, including English, Mandarin and Nepali. Terrestrial RTB services are generally available without an individual subscription, while RTBGo requires an internet-enabled device and a functioning connection. Pelita Brunei is an official government newspaper in Malay and is published in print on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, as well as online daily through ePelita. Borneo Bulletin is a private English-language daily newspaper, while Media Permata is a private Malay-language daily newspaper. Foreign publications are available but may be subject to permit requirements. Local news is also distributed through websites and social networks. Access to online media is practically broad, but not equal for all users. DEPS and AITI reported a total of 645103 internet connections in 2025, including 103291 fixed and 541812 mobile connections; the number of connections does not correspond to the number of people. Device, price, bandwidth, location and the availability of individual platforms influence actual access. RTBGo, YouTube and international platforms perform central functions in streaming, without a general national streaming service having been established by the available sources. AITI regulates communications and online content together with other government bodies. The Content Advisory Council includes, among others, AITI, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, and the Attorney General’s Chambers. The Internet Code of Practice applies to licensed internet service providers and Internet Content Providers; broadcasting is governed, among other instruments, by the Broadcasting Act, the Broadcasting Code of Practice and the Class Licence Notification of 2001. A technical broadcasting licence from AITI does not replace a full content review. According to the factsheet, a licence to operate an AM, FM or TV station costs 100 BND, is valid for one year and should be renewed at least two months before expiry. Anyone wishing to publish a local newspaper or magazine in Brunei must comply with the Newspapers Act. This includes registration with the Registrar of Local Newspapers and a permit from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The permit fee stated in the factsheet is 5000 BND per year, with an additional deposit of 100000 BND; current application documents and enforcement practice should be checked before applying. Foreign journalists apply for a Media Accreditation Pass through the Information Department. This requires, among other things, a passport, photograph, press card, assignment letter, any additional permits and an equipment list; submission should take place at least two weeks before entry. Approval may be refused or withdrawn. Posts on social networks are not automatically covered by journalistic privileges. Platform rules apply alongside national law. When publishing text, photographs, films or music, copyright under the Copyright Order, 1999, as well as consent and privacy, must be considered. This also applies to reposts, downloads and remixes unless a licence or statutory exception applies. Depending on the content and circumstances, the Defamation Act, the Sedition Act, the Public Order Act, the Broadcasting Act, the Internet Code of Practice and the Syariah Penal Code may create additional risks. Defamatory, seditious, religiously offensive, obscene, false or dangerous content, as well as hate and violence incitement, online gambling and doxxing, should not be distributed. The Personal Data Protection Order, 2025, regulates how private companies handle personal data; AITI administers and supervises this area. Before publishing, the purpose, consent or other legal basis, data minimisation and, where applicable, the responsibility of a data protection officer should be checked. This also concerns images, contact details, locations and data relating to minors. Frameworks including the Child Online Protection Framework of 2013 and the National Framework on Child Protection of 2021 provide protection for young people. Risks include cyberbullying, grooming, sexual exploitation, fraud and data breaches. Depending on the case, reporting and protection channels may include parents or guardians, schools, JAPEM, the relevant child-protection or cybersecurity authorities, platforms or the police; a uniform national media age-rating system has not been established by the available sources. People can participate through letters to the editor, comments, sharing posts and their own social-network content. Pelita Brunei accepts, among other things, press releases, reporting requests, articles, poems and advertisements; submission does not guarantee publication or an editorial response. RTB offers public workshops and training, but no formal general citizen-journalism status with an entitlement to airtime has been established. Journalistic work takes place mainly at RTB, Information Department (Jabatan Penerangan) and Pelita Brunei, Brunei Press with Borneo Bulletin and Media Permata, and other online news services. Access to events and editorial duties often depends on the organisation, accreditation and an event permit. The external assessment by Reporters Without Borders ranked Brunei at rank 96 out of 180 in the 2026 index with a score of 52.58; this assessment is not a legal source but points to possible self-censorship and reputational risks. Complaints may be addressed, depending on the violation, to the provider or platform, AITI, the Information Department, the Royal Brunei Police Force or another competent authority. The available sources do not establish an independent media council with a comprehensive press-freedom mandate, a general national streaming portal or a formal citizen-journalism pathway.