After Jakarta Attacks, Indonesia Blocks More Than 780,000 Websites That Include Extremism, Porn

RTX22NIM — People attend a peace gathering at the site of a militant attack in central Jakarta, Indonesia, Jan. 16, 2016. REUTERS

Indonesia has ramped up efforts to block websites that include pornography or extremist views, officials from the Ministry of Communication and Informatics said Monday. The ministry has now blocked more than 780,000 websites in its efforts to curtail the spread of radicalism, the South China Morning Post reported.

The initiative is a response to Indonesian leaders’ calls for a more comprehensive plan to fight the Islamic State group, Channel NewsAsia reported. Earlier this month, Indonesia faced its first major terrorist attack since 2009 when militants linked to the extremist group, also known as ISIS, attacked the capital, Jakarta. At least two people were killed in the attacks, which unfolded at a Starbucks coffee shop and in the streets.

Rudiantara, the minister of communication and informatics, said even though the initiative was launched last year, radical posts continue to be pervasive on the internet.

“The websites and social media accounts containing radicalism have kept emerging sharply since December 2015,” Rudiantara said. “When we blocked one website, another website will emerge with different performance.”

To combat radicalism, the ministry will continue to review social media posts and websites. The ministry also coordinates with the government’s security division. “The panel in the information and communication ministry keeps conducting monitoring,” said Rudiantara.

When the initiative was first announced in April, only 19 websites had been blocked. Vice President M. Jusuf Kalla said the government would be careful to review each website to ensure it blocks only those with radical content.

“Not all of them [will be blocked],” he told Antara News. “We will not block a website simply because it has an Islamic name. Only those clearly promoting radicalism consistently [will be blocked]. If they only carry interpretations or content that are not binding, they will not be selected among those to be blocked.”