Indonesia’s Digital Clean‑Up: 70,000 Sites Gone in One Month
Picture this: a whole country, gluing itself together with 44 servers that act like a digital version of a filter coffee, sifting out the nastiest content from the global internet. Sounds like a sci‑fi saga, but it’s happening right now in Jakarta.
The “Crawling System” Hits the Stage
Since January, the Indonesian Communications Ministry rolled out a new “crawling system” that scans the web for anything that crosses the line—think porn, extremist propaganda, and all the other stuff you’d rather not see. With a budget of around $15 million (about 19.6 million Singapore dollars), the system kicked off by blocking 72,407 porn sites in just the first month—no small feat for a country already famous for its huge population.
How It Works
- 44 agile servers scour content at lightning speed.
- Keyword filters, mostly porn‑related, flag dubious material.
- Once flagged, the system issues a swift shutdown.
Minister Rudiantara’s Take
Communications Minister Rudiantara, who often prefers a single name for himself, says: “We tack on a handful of key words—mostly pornographic—to the system. After 2017, we blocked nearly 800,000 sites; over 90 % of those were pornographic.”
Beyond Porn: The Ban on Extremist Talk
Indonesia’s crackdown isn’t just about adult content. The government also targets extremist outlooks both on the web and social media. Last year, they threatened to block WhatsApp Messenger unless obscene GIFs were removed, and seized certain Telegram channel access because of “radical and terrorist propaganda.”
WHO’s in the Mix?
- Facebook’s WhatsApp – widely used but flagged for graphic content.
- Telegram – closed off channels allegedly full of radical threads.
- Google’s Play Store – removed 73 LGBT‑related apps, including the popular Blued dating app, after a petition from the Ministry.
Rudiantara wryly notes, “Some folks think what we consider porn is just art. Different courts, different judgments.” He concedes that the relationship with tech giants is improving, especially when it comes to content that spreads radicalism or terrorism.
Fake News Battle in the Works
For the upcoming elections in Indonesia, the world’s third‑largest democracy, nine tech giants—Google, Facebook included—have pledged their support to curb fake news and hate speech. “They’re responding on the fly when it comes to dangerous content,” says the minister.
Quick Takeaway
- Indonesia’s new crawling system has blocked over 70,000 sites in just a month.
- The focus is not just on porn; extremist content faces heavy scrutiny.
- Tech companies are slowly syncing with Indonesian authorities, even if they disagree on what counts as “porn.”
- They’re gearing up to fight fake news in the years ahead.
So next time you vaporize a website, remember that behind it all is a whole ministry, a bright cloud of servers, and a lot of digital sweating to keep the net safe for everyone in Indonesia.
