Indonesia’s online porn crackdown nets 380,000 content removals

Authorities have also blocked dozens of social media groups and accounts, including some promoting incest and child porn

Indonesia has removed nearly 380,000 pornographic images, videos and posts from the internet over the past seven months in a sweeping effort to protect online spaces, particularly for children.

The material formed part of 1.8 million pieces of harmful digital content that have been taken down since October, according to Alexander Sabar, director general of cyberspace supervision.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) prioritised the removal of pornographic material to curb its spread and shield children from harmful exposure, Sabar, who took office in January, told the Antara news agency.

Komdigi, established during President Prabowo Subianto’s cabinet reshuffle in October last year, replaced the former Communication and Information Ministry. Since its formation, the ministry has blocked 29 Facebook groups, 50 accounts, and 19 posts for violating anti-pornography regulations. Additionally, 17 accounts on the social media platform X have been shut down for similar breaches.

On Tuesday, police arrested six people accused of distributing pornographic content involving women and underage children via two Facebook groups promoting incest, named Fantasi Sedarah and Suka Duka, local media reported

The ministry has since worked with Meta, Facebook’s parent company, to block the groups and others connected to them.

Fantasi Sedarah, which roughly translates to “blood-relation fantasies”, reportedly had thousands of members and focused on posting incest-themed content featuring children. Facing public outrage, the group rebranded itself as Suka Duka, or “ups and downs”.

“The six perpetrators were apprehended at various locations across the islands of Java and Sumatra,” police spokesman Erdi Chaniago told Tempo news magazine, adding that the number of suspects could increase as the investigation develops. He stressed that the authorities would act decisively against the spread of child pornography.

“Such groups clearly contradict moral values and endanger the safety and future of Indonesia’s children,” said Titi Eko Rahayu, secretary of the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, in comments reported by The Jakarta Post on Friday.

“Sexual fantasies involving incest are not only inappropriate, but also damage public perceptions of healthy family relationships.”

Sexual fantasies involving incest are not only inappropriate, but also damage public perceptions of healthy family relationshipsTiti Eko Rahayu, Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection

Indonesia ranks fourth globally and second in Southeast Asia for cases of child pornography, with about 5.6 million instances recorded over the past four years, according to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, a US non-profit organisation.

This alarming statistic was one of the reasons President Prabowo tasked Komdigi with drafting regulations to protect children in digital spaces within two months, Komdigi Minister Meutya Hafid told the Kompas newspaper in February.

On March 28, Prabowo signed a regulation requiring both public and private digital platforms to ensure their services were free from content harmful to children under 17, creating a safer online environment for their development, The Jakarta Post reported.

Sabar said that Komdigi was patrolling the internet around the clock to curb the spread of inappropriate content. However, he urged parents and the public to support the government’s efforts.

“Let us work hand in hand to safeguard Indonesia’s digital space, ensuring it remains a safe environment for our children and their future,” he said, according to Antara.

Indonesia introduced an anti-pornography law in 2008, imposing up to four years’ imprisonment for possessing or downloading explicit materials.