ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The Telegram application will soon be blocked in Indonesia because it provides online gambling content.
The Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information has given Telegram one week to close online gambling content. If you don’t pay attention, the Telegram application will immediately be blocked.
In Indonesia, Telegram has quite a large number of users. The We Are Social report states that in January 2024 around 61.3 million Indonesians will be users of the Telegram application. This means that as many as 61.3 million users will no longer be able to access Telegram if this platform does not comply.
The Director General of Applications and Informatics at the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information, Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, admitted that he had summoned and met Telegram representatives.
Semuel said that his party had also sent letters twice to Telegram so that the findings of 600 pieces of online gambling content must be resolved immediately.
He explained that the second warning letter had been sent by the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information this week. For this reason, his party is giving Telegram a last chance to eradicate online gambling content.
“If Telegram doesn’t respond, it can be immediately blocked,” said Semuel, Friday, June 14 2024.
On May 5 2024, the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information threatened to impose a fine of IDR 500 million per content until the Telegram platform was closed. The messaging application is considered uncooperative in eradicating online gambling content.
Previously, the Minister of Communication and Information, Budi Arie Setiadi, stated that he was ready to close Telegram due to the rise of online gambling content on the platform.
“Now there is a trend of playing online gambling on Telegram. Therefore, I remind the Telegram platform that if it is not cooperative, we will definitely close it,” he said on Friday, May 24 2024.
Furthermore, the government also does not hesitate to revoke permits or close services from Internet service providers (ISPs) who are not cooperative in eradicating online gambling.
Minister Budi claims to have obtained the names of companies, including their owners, who provide internet services for online gambling.
“We already know which ISPs facilitate online gambling. Just wait for the time. “Later it will close, and we will announce what company it is and who owns it,” he said.
So far, the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information stated that it had succeeded in reducing 1,904,246 online gambling content during 17 July 2023—21 May 2024. (ATN)
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