JAKARTA—Just in time for Ramadan, the Indonesian government has followed through on its promise—or threat, depending—to block access to sites containing pornography. The number of sites blocked is said to be around 4 million, though internet experts say that number may be exaggerated.
But the intent is real, and according to news reports, Tifatul Sembiring, Indonesia’s minister for communication and information technology, has acknowledged that the effort to keep unwanted content out of the country’s cyber-airwaves will be ongoing.
"We can't automatically block 100 percent,” he said. “It's a step-by-step approach and it will be blocked bit by bit. But I believe we've hit 80 percent since the top porn websites have been blocked.”
ISPs have been ordered to filter porn sites, and Internet cafes have likewise been directed to install filters that will accomplish the same goal. According to Asia Pacific News, dozens of officers have been assigned to update blacklists and also to keep track of measures undertaken by porn site managers to skirt filters.
One technology expert, Heru Sutadi, said that the cat-and-mouse game will be a difficult one for the government to ultimately win.
"In Indonesia, there are a lot of official as well as unofficial channels,” he said. “It means the front door can be blocked but the back door is still accessible.”
He added that even if the government succeeds in putting a big dent in online access, the widespread offline availability of sexually explicit content will remain a reality of Indonesian life.
"There's an abundance of offline pornography, he said. “Therefore, while we block online, there's easy access to offline materials available at road sides.”
The website porn ban will remain in place after the Ramadan holiday.
