Is WhatsApp Access Restriction Effective Now, and What Are the Effects?
The Ministry of Communication and Information (Kominfo) yesterday announced the temporary restriction of access to social media services. This policy is implemented to prevent irresponsible individuals from spreading fake news and Hoax related to the May 22 action in platform such as WhatsApp and Facebook.
Heru Sutadi, as Executive Director of the Indonesia ICT Institute, said that this massive and structured social media restriction is the first time this has happened in Indonesia. However, according to him, the current restrictions are ineffective and relatively slow to implement.
If you look at it, because there are many who use VPN, it seems like it’s not effective. And also some are blocked and some are not. Heru said
Why is it being carried out only now, even though steps like this can be taken before the general election so that divisions do not become sharper. he continued.
He also said that restrictions on access to WhatsApp and other social media needed to be re-evaluated, because it did little to threaten the rights of Indonesian citizens to access information as stated in the 1945 constitution article 28F.
The article reads, “everyone has the right to communicate and obtain information to develop their personal and social environment. And has the right to seek, obtain, possess, store, process, and convey information from all available channels.
As announced by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Wiranto, he stated that he would limit it for the next two to three days. According to Heru, the restrictions can now be lifted.
Immediately lifted this restriction does not need to be up to 3 days. It is not effective and Jakarta has started to become conducive, he said