Kominfo to Rule Contents Allowed or Banned on Internet

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Communication and Information (Kominfo) Ministry is currently amending the Ministerial Regulation No. 19/2014 concerning the handling of internet sites containing negative contents. The ministry's spokesperson, Ferdinandus Setu, said the latest regulation would detail the rules of contents allowed and prohibited to be uploaded on the internet.

“There will be do’s and don'ts,” said Ferdinandus at the ministry office, Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, Monday, July 29.

Ferdinandus said the revised regulation had been drafted since early this year as suggested by several parties since the regulation was referred to the Law on Electronic Information and Transaction (ITE Law).

Earlier, Kominfo was asked to draft regulatory guidelines to translate the ITE Law in order to prevent multiple interpretations, such as contents considered immoral.

Irfan Akhyari, the lawyer of YouTuber Kimberly Khow or Kimi Hime, voiced the issue after the ministry blocked his client’s videos, which the ministry deemed containing pornography. Hence, Irfan asserted the government should have a clear corridor related to vulgar contents.

Meanwhile, Ferdinandus admitted the Ministerial Regulation 19/2014 did not elaborate details of contents eligible to be posted for the public. When asked about any addendum or revision to several articles, he said Kominfo could not explain it further. “We did not know about it yet,” he concluded.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA