An investigative analysis of government requests, election integrity, and the restriction of digital speech in Indonesia during a pivotal election year.
2024 marked a surge in digital policing due to the General Election (Pemilu) in February and regional tensions. The government, primarily through Kominfo, utilized the ITE Law and Permenkominfo Ministerial Regulation 5 (MR5) to pressure platforms into rapid compliance.
Total Requests
Government requests for content restriction across FB, IG, & WA.
Primary Basis
Specifically Article 27 (Defamation) & Article 28 (Hate Speech).
Compliance Rate
Percentage of requests resulting in some form of restriction.
How a piece of content goes from a user's screen to being restricted. The process involves multiple agencies funneling requests through a central authority or direct legal channels.
Cyber Police Patrols
Public Reports (Aduan)
Bawaslu
Monitoring
KOMINFO (AIS Machine)
Legal Validation
Permenkominfo
Regulation MR5/2020
Meta Trust & Safety
Geo-blocking
Account Suspension
Note: While Kominfo is the primary funnel for "administrative" takedowns (gambling, porn, hoaxes), the Police and Courts can issue direct legal orders for criminal content, often bypassing the administrative queue for immediate action.
Takedown requests peaked significantly during the election month (February) and the "Emergency Warning" protests in August.
Election Integrity
Massive spike in "hoax" reports regarding vote counting (Sirekap). Kominfo reports handling 200+ election hoax issues in 24 hours.
Public Order
Presidential decree forms Satgas Judi Online. Meta receives aggressive demands to purge gambling links from FB/IG comments.
Political Speech
Viral blue "Emergency Warning" image protesting PILKADA law changes. Reports of shadowbanning on Instagram for accounts amplifying the hashtag.
Security
Pre-emptive filtering of content deemed "security threats" or incitement to protest during the transition of power.
Breakdown of legal justifications for removal requests.
Which government body initiates the request?
Meta's response to government requests often varies by the nature of the legal demand.
The central hub. Operates the "AIS" content crawling system. Has authority under Permenkominfo MR5/2020 to fine platforms for non-compliance.
Cyber Crime Directorate monitors criminal activity (hate speech, terrorism). Issues direct legal orders for evidence preservation and takedowns.
Flags election violations (black campaigns, disinformation) to Kominfo for specialized election-period takedowns.