The Ministry of Communication and Informatics in Indonesia has sternly urged Meta to accelerate the removal of online gambling content. Meta, owner and operator of Facebook among other platforms, has been under the scanner after the government issued a stringent warning regarding such content.
The ministry’s Director General of Public Information and Communication, Usman Kansong, emphasized that there won’t be any further extensions given to Meta for this operation. “We are expecting a report detailing the quantity of removed content and demand the completion of this task at the earliest,” Kansong declared on Friday.
Budi Arie Setiadi, the Communication and Informatics Minister, had dispatched a letter to Meta’s representatives on October 2, directing the control of online gambling and slot gaming activities on the platform. The company was mandated to purge any such content from their digital sphere within a twenty-four-hour time frame.
Addressing this directive, Kansong comments that the team has requested additional time, indicating that the elimination process necessitates a detailed protocol. “We have granted some flexibility, but insist on immediate action. Meta is required to keep us updated on the progress of content removal,” he added.
Kansong acknowledged that the company has implemented measures to eradicate online gambling content, but instances of this content persistently surface. He stressed that a failure to attend to content promoting online gambling, such as advertisements, would constitute a breach of the Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) Law.
“If Meta continues to neglect this issue, the communication and informatics minister holds the power to report the situation to the police,” Kansong cautioned.
Regarding online gambling content, Kansong revealed that an estimated 1.2 million items have been removed since 2018 – suggesting it as the most frequently excised content.
Adding to this, Minister Setiadi reported that nearly 400,000 pieces of online gambling content have been blocked from digital platforms across Indonesia since his term commenced on July 17, 2023. The Indonesian government continues to join forces with internet providers in its mission to weed out online gambling, with Minister Setiadi committed to formulating regulations for its eradication.
